Kiyra: Rogue Rat
by Contorce
Summary: Kiyra is a thief in the Rogue. All she wants to do is survive, have fun, and avoid her family. That's a lot to ask, considering Kiyra's talent for finding and causing trouble. Experience Kiyra's journey through the most exciting part of her life!
1. Beginning June 463

**CHAPTER ONE – June**

Kiyra yawned and stretched lazily. The warm sun bathed her young face and she turned over, reveling in it. Suddenly she sat right up. "Julie!" she cried, "What time is it?"

Another girl about Kiyra's age stuck her head in the room. "Just past sunup."

Kiyra groaned. She leapt off of one of the many pallets in the small room. She slipped out of the overlarge shirt that the slept in and pulled on her too-large grey breeches. Over that, she pulled on an off-white shirt and a brown vest. She had a pair of shoes, but she only wore them where the weather turned cold. Her feet were as tough as leather. She did have a sheath knife, which she stuck in her rope belt. As the last touch, she pulled a grey cap over her short hair. Then, she left the room.

The figure that was thumping down the stairs wasn't remarkable. She was of average height for her age, which happened to be fourteen. She had light blond hair. The only uncommon thing about her was her blue-green eyes that changed very slightly with her mood. Although she had only woken up a minute before, no trace of sleep was left in Kiyra's movements or her face.

"Randy? Why dinna anyone wake me?" Kiyra said reproachfully. "It be Market Day. Plenna of nobles will be out there fur the picking." Randy, who stood behind a counter serving food to youth, handed her a bowl of porridge.

"Then agin me gal, might wanta let those poor nobles 'ave a running chance, ey?" Randy smiled his toothless grin as Kiyra scowled, shoveling in her porridge.

"Even still, everyone else will have been out there for an 'our." Finished with her porridge, Kiyra pushed her bowl aside and walked jauntily out of the door of the Dancing Dove. Once outside, she gazed around in the bright sunlight. Commoners walked around, looking at booths displaying goods. Kiyra knew that she couldn't carry out her business here; many of these people didn't even have purses. She knew that to have an especially profitable day, the more respectable market was the place for her, although it was more risky. More provost men were about to keep the peace and they would be likely to catch her if she wasn't careful. Still, walking past the rows of booths, Kiyra plucked an apple calmly. It was just a habit, she told herself, and she was still hungry.

Picking her way through the crowds, Kiyra jammed her hands into her large pockets. She started to see fancy stalls and even some shops mixed in. The quality of the crowd's clothing improved. Finding her first target, Kiyra moved in for the kill, rather steal.

A fat nobleman was looking at scrolls, a large pouch hanging from his belt. This should be easy, thought Kiyra. She walked past the nobleman, but she "slipped" in a puddle and fell backwards. No one saw her whirling hands grab the pouch and slip it into her pocket. Stammering apologies to the nobleman, she scurried up and ran away, the picture of an embarrassed child.

Grinning proudly, Kiyra walked back to the Dancing Dove. Waving at her friends, she felt on top of the world. What could be better than having a pocket full of money, pick-pocketing skills, and Market Day besides? Nothing, that's what. Once she reached the Dancing Dove, she walked through the common room into a small room on the side. It was one of those unnoticeable rooms that you had to know about to find. Kiyra walked right in, and waited in a line behind a couple other kid pickpockets. Once it was her turn, she slapped her coins down onto the table.

"Third to the Rouge and two-thirds to me folks." Kiyra said automatically, repeating what she'd said for the last four years. Dillus, the account man, quickly counted the coins and scribbled into a book.

"You're one o' the top runners, Kiyra; maybe his Majesty will recognize you sooner or later." Kiyra didn't say anything, just grinned and crossed her fingers for luck. Being recognized meant maybe getting trained further by his Majesty himself and getting the choice houses to steal from.

"You'll be wantin' me to send the money to your folks then?" Dillus said and Kiyra nodded quickly and turned her face away. "It wouldn't do you no harm to visit them once in a while, you know."

"Why?" Kiyra whirled on Dillus. "I send them enough money to get though, don't I? They're provided for, aren't they? They don't need me, anymore than I need them!" Furious with herself for losing her temper, Kiyra stormed out of the Dancing Dove.

* * *

An hour later, Kiyra had already gone back to Dillus twice. That was good even for her. She was in the middle of a crowd when she saw the King's Champion and her husband. Those of the Rogue knew that George of Pirate's Swoop had once been King of the Rogue. Kiyra felt her fingers twitching. Think of the honor, she told herself. Stealing from the former King! Kiyra pushed her way to the crowds, where her target stood admiring daggers with his wife. Kiyra also admired the daggers. What she wouldn't give for one of them! 

Kiyra refocused her mind to the task at hand. She could try to steal the purse without touching him, but she would probably get caught. She could also 'crash' into him, which was a much better plan. She quickly looked for the purse and saw it tied tightly around his waist. She rested a hand on her own battered knife. She would have one chance to do this right.

Kiyra walked away from the daggers, stealing one last covetous look. She walked further away, turned around and walked quickly back. Looking sideways, she crashed into the Baron of Pirate's Swoop. At the same time, she cut the ties and had the purse in her pocket before she hit the street. The Baron extended an arm to help her up, which Kiyra took gratefully.

"Thank you, milord. M'sorry. " She bowed clumsily and walked back into the crowd, being careful to 'disappear' from them. She reached a hand into her pocket and felt the purse. It was heavy and didn't even jingle, which was a sign of it being full to bursting. Inwardly, she beamed. She must be the best pickpocket in Tortall! Well, probably just in Corus, she reasoned.

Behind her, Kiyra heard shouts. The baron was calling for his wife and Numair. Time to leave, she thought. She heard pounding feet and looked around for a shop to hide in. There was a sewing shop in this nicer section of the city, and she knew the woman who ran it. Crossing the street to enter it, she ducked inside before anyone saw her.

"Morning, Mistress Tarren." Kiyra said with a grin that the mistress knew as her 'I'll be caught if you don't let me hide in here and that would be cruel' face. Sighing she motioned to a stool behind the counter, which Kiyra sat behind gratefully.

Taking out the pins that were in her mouth, the sewing mistress said, "And its Lalasa to you. You know I don't hold with formalities." Kiyra grinned and watched Lalasa, fascinated as her quick and able fingers worked at a gown. A baby started to cry in the back room and Kiyra could hear more shouts from outside.

"Are the shouts for you?" Lalasa asked. Kiyra nodded ruefully. "Well, you better go tend to the baby." Kiyra laughed.

"Thanks, Lalasa. All the times you've done this for me, I'll never repay you."

"You could repay me by stopping your thieving ways. You know how I worry about you." Kiyra smiled, shaking her head, and going to the child. Lalasa was one of her dearest friends, although she was more than twenty. Kiyra had met her one day, when she was crying with loneliness outside the shop. That was before she joined the Rogue, when she lived with her family.

Rocking the baby, Kiyra crooned to it the way that she had seen other mothers do. She moved to a rocking chair and sang songs that she had heard sung in the Dancing Dove before. It was only when she got halfway through a song about the outlaws and their ladies that she realized these might not be suitable songs for a baby. Grimacing, she searched her head for lullabies and found none. The baby had stopped crying anyway and Kiyra rocked him contentedly. She did love children, although thieves were supposed to be hardened criminals.

The baby was young enough that he fell asleep again quickly, after Kiyra had given him a bottle of heated milk. Kiyra put him back in the cradle, remembering the pouch filled to the brim with money. She took it out and hefted it, grinning with anticipation. Slowly, almost reverently, she untied the cord that held it shut and dumped the contents into her cap.

One single stone fell into it. Kiyra stared at it in despair. It was perfectly shaped like an egg, but was grey and ugly. The stone was rough and coarse. Angrily, she was about to hurl it against the wall, but she stopped. When Kiyra looked very close at it, she could see a fine hairline crack. Also, some instinct told her that something about it was magical. Whatever it was, she was going to figure it out. Anyway, why would the Baron of Pirate's Swoop carry around a rock, if it wasn't special in some way?

Palming the unharmed rock, Kiyra left the room deep in thought. Not realizing how crowded the shop would be at midday, she bumped into someone. Instinctively Kiyra reached for the person's purse, but stopped herself just in time. If she stole here, Lalasa might get in trouble. Lalasa also hated it when she stole. Sometimes Kiyra stole just to get her mad.

"Thank you for watching the baby. I didn't realize that it had been so long." Lalasa said gratefully.

"It's okay. I like babies." Kiyra said. Her fingers were twitching and her head was aching with the self control it took Kiyra not to steal. "I gotta go outside now." Lalasa knew that Kiyra was a compulsive thief and rolled her eyes.

Walking outside, Kiyra immediately knew that something wasn't right. The air felt heavy and the sky was darker than it should be for this time of day. All thoughts of stealing out of her head, Kiyra rushed back into the shop.

"Lalasa, storm's coming up! It's a big one by the feel of it. I'm going home." Not waiting for an answer, Kiyra ran outside again.

The wind blew hard enough to push Kiyra. Leaning against the wind, she headed towards the Dancing Dove. Commoners and nobles alike were fighting to get home. Rain started to pound, adding to the noise of the howling wind. It seemed like Kiyra had been walking for hours and had gotten nowhere. A particularly strong burst of wind and rain blew Kiyra into an alleyway.

It was really a stroke of luck, even though Kiyra slammed into the stone wall. A child lay crying, huddled up between the wall and a crate. Kiyra sat down next to the girl and gathered her into her arms. The girl looked to be about three. Kiyra tried to get up, but the wind whipped her down again. Moaning, she almost prepared herself to spend a night in the cold, but got back up again. She picked up the girl again. Leaving the alley, Kiyra walked for what seemed like hours.

When Kiyra finally saw the Dancing Dove, she almost cried with happiness. Holding the girl tighter, she wearily staggered into the Dove. Randy swore when he saw her, holding out a blanket for her. Kiyra took it and wrapped the child in it. Dillus set them beside the hearth and one of the ladies took the sleeping girl.

"Upstairs," Randy pointed for good measure. "Change now." Meekly, Kiyra wearily turned and was glad for the supportive arm that one of her friends offered. Also a pickpocket, blue-eyed, eleven year old Merci was another one of Kiyra's truest friends. She was polite and quiet, but loyal to the core. Merci had hair so sun bleached that it was light blond and she had it cut shoulder length. Leaning on Merci's shoulder and stumbling up the stairs, Kiyra felt as if she were in a daze. She didn't remember much about the time before she went to sleep, just that Merci helped her get her wet things off.

* * *

Kiyra woke up a couple of hours later with a fist in her face. Snarling in her half-sleep she rolled over, stopping when she heard an indignant squeak. Opening her eyes with a start, she snorted with surprise when she saw her little friend curled up beside her. It had been the little child's small fist. Looking around the room, the other girls' pallets were empty and Kodi guessed that it was just before supper. She extricated herself from the girl's body trying not to wake her. Kiyra did wake her and she rubbed her eyes. Once the girl had rubbed all the sleep out of her eyes, she clung to Kodi. 

"Could you please leggo?" Kiyra asked. The girl loosened her grip a little. "What's your name?" she asked the brown curled girl.

"Sarra."

"What are your parents' names?" Kiyra asked. As much as she liked kids, she didn't want to be permanently stuck with one of them. Unconscientiously, she fingers checked for the stone in her pocket, squeezing it once reassuringly.

"Mummy and Papa." That was helpful, thought Kiyra.

"Well, let's get you downstairs for some food." Holding Sarra's hand, she clattered down the stairs to the common room. The younger pickpockets ate in the common room before the evening rush of city folk coming for a drink or two. When her friends saw her with the child, their laughter just added to the immense din in the room. When you put fifty young children who have worked hard all day, you are quite liable to get a bit of noise. Kiyra's friends were some of the oldest of the pickpockets.

"Is she yours?" Cart shouted, shoveling in his stew. He had short red hair that curled in tiny ringlets on his head. He was one of the best acrobats in the Rogue, even though he was only fifteen.

"She must be. She even looks a bit like her." Julie commented. Julie was thirteen and an acrobat like Cart. She had long dark brown hair and hazel eyes that had more brown in them than green. Julie was very pretty, with all the right curves in the right places.

"Of course little Sarra is mine." Kiyra placed the child on her hip and crossed the room to stand by Geoff. "Rather, she's ours." That comment made all the children laugh. Most of them were barefoot, raggedy and unkempt, but they were much world-wise than richer children. Even the smallest ones, who were as young as six or seven, knew more about survival in the streets than a twelve year old noble would know.

Geoff took Kiyra's joke in stride. Most of the pickpockets knew that Geoff had always had feelings for Kiyra. He was a sixteen year Player and a pickpocket, and he had the fastest wit of anyone that Kiyra knew. He had a Bazhir mother and the straight black hair and eyes that went along with it.

"I love the one I've got and I want more." Geoff spun Kiyra around to face the rooms that the prostitutes took their ladies up to. Once again, even the youngest children understood the joke and giggled.

Kiyra in turn, made the oddest face she could think of. She crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue.

"Your face will freeze like that." Cart said, green eyes laughing but face solemn.

"Ah, think of all the youth that will suffer." Geoff said dramatically. "One glance from her and they will fall dead in their tracks. Literally." Kiyra slugged him and he grinned good-naturedly.

"No matter the youth," Toady said, "What about us?" That set them all to laughing because Toady was one of the youngest pickpockets, only eight years old. Sarra started to whimper and Kiyra remembered her charge.

"Wound me all you want, but I will always be above you." Kiyra proclaimed haughtily. "I don't suppose that any of you have ever stolen from a former King of the Thieves, namely one Baron George of Pirate's Swoop."

Silence followed her announcement and whispers quickly ensued that. Looks of admiration were given to Kiyra from the younger pickpockets and disbelief from the older ones.

"Randy, can I have some stew for me and Geoff's kid?" Randy placed two bowls on an empty spot on a table next to Kiyra's friends. Kiyra sat down and set Sarra on her lap. Sarra started spooning in her food faster than Cart had.

"Who's gonna help me find her parents?" Kiyra said. No one raised their hands, but she didn't really mind. They were all busy trying to earn money to survive. At the last moment, Toady raised his hand.

"I'll do it. Got nothing better to do." he said reluctantly, shaking his straw colored hair out of his grey eyes. The Rogue ladies all loved him because of his freckles, mischievous grin, and wavy hair that covered his hair like a large cap.

"Thanks. It's good to know I'm a last resort."

"We love you anyway." Julie told her.

"Geoff doesn't think of you as a last resort." Merci reminded Kiyra, wearing something linkable to a smirk.

Sarra had finished her stew and looked up at Kiyra expectantly.

"I want Mummy." Sarra said.

"C'mon Toady. We'll have to scout all of Corus to find her parents before dark."

* * *

Three days later, Sarra's parents were no closer to being found. Carrying Sarra piggyback, Kiyra walked alongside Toady. Kiyra was grateful; Toady had helped her for the past days. It seemed that they walked all the way from Tusaine and back and they were exhausted. Spotting Cart and Julie doing flips and twists for a crowd, Kiyra and Toady took Sarra over to their friends. When they got there, Cart and Julie had just finished the routine and were taking a bow. 

"Julie! Cart! Nice job there." Kiyra set Sarra down on a pile of crates on the corner.

"Still haven't found their parents yet?" asked Julie sympathetically as Cart collected coins from the crowd. Kiyra shrugged.

"Can I be in the next one?" Toady asked. Julie looked to Cart.

"If Kiyra wants to join in, we can do the four person routine." After Cart spoke, Cart, Julie, and Toady looked expectantly at Kiyra, who walked over to Sarra.

"I'm going to do something for a minute or two. I'll be right here and you can watch me, but if you move from right here, I'll be mad. Okay?" The kid nodded and Kiyra bounced over, suddenly not tired.

The four started in a group with their left hands on top of one another. They flipped backwards and started flipping and twisting. Cart and Julie were much better at it than Kiyra and Toady, and they could attempt more complicated twists. It looked disorganized but every step was carefully planned out. Sometimes two of them would pass so close to each other that the crowd would gasp, but only their clothes would brush. As suddenly as they had started, they ended back up in the circle with their right hands together.

The crowd cheered and clapped and the four young acrobats stood proudly. That had been one of their hardest routines and they had performed it without mistake. Kiyra looked at Sarra and she stood on the crates pointing at someone in the crowd near the stands. Kiyra went over to her.

"Whatcha lookin at?"

"Mummy!" When Kiyra heard that one word, she blessed every one of the gods that she had ever heard of and those she hadn't. "I want my mommy, Kiyra!"

"Toady, come with me, kid! She sees her mum!" Toady raised his eyes to the sky and jokingly muttered a few prayers. Kiyra looked again at the women who Sarra had pointed at and froze. Standing just a few steps away was the Baron of Pirate's Swoop. She didn't know if he'd remember her from yesterday, but it was too good of a chance.

"Toady, I stole from him yesterday! What am I going to do?" She turned around, but Cart and Julie had disappeared.

"Give me your hat." Kiyra put it over her head, concealing her eyes and most of her hair. Dragging her feet, she walked slowly over to where the child had pointed. There was a break in the crowd and Sarra had full view of their mother.

"Mummy!" Sarra screamed and ran. Watching until she got to their ma, Kiyra and Toady drifted back into the crowd. Kiyra sighed with relief that the Baron hadn't seen her.

* * *

Daine the Wildmage wept as she clung to her child. Her Sarra had been lost in the storm and Daine and Numair had been searching for her since. Actually, Alanna, George, and all their friends had been searching as well. It had been more than two days since she had seen them, and she had started to give up hope. Now to find Sarra alive and well overwhelmed her. George searched the crowd as if looking for something. 

"Where were you?" Daine asked Sarra. "I was so worried."

"We were fine. Kiyra had us." Sarra said nonchalantly. Numair rushed through the crowd and also hugged his child.

"Who is Kiyra?" asked George.

"She has friends in a big house that's named after a bird." Sarra explained. George nodded thoughtfully.

"We have to reward her somehow." Numair said.

"I have a better idea." George said. "Why don't we find her and bring her to the palace? She has to be questioned." In answer to Daine and Numair's questioning glances, he continued. "She's the one that stole my purse that held the stone."

No one noticed the small boy who slipped away from the crowd and ran like the wind towards the Dancing Dove.

* * *

Later, Kiyra and her friends were in an abandoned warehouse. Toady had told them all about what the Baron had said. Kiyra figured that it was only a matter of time before they found her. She was curious though, and wanted to find out what secrets the stone held before they took it away from her and threw her in a musty dungeon somewhere. 

After the six pickpockets were seated in a circle, Kiyra placed the round stone in a circle. They all stared at it as if it were going to jump out and dance a jig.

"This is boring." Toady announced. "I thought you said it had secrets."

"It does. Kiyra, maybe secrets are meant to be kept." Geoff told him.

"No, that's not it." Kiyra argued. "Secrets are meant to be found out. Everyone knows that."

"I think Geoff's right." Julie told her. "This seems pointless."

"Life is pointless." Kiyra loved to argue, even when she had no point. "If life weren't pointless, would it really be life?"

"I'm sure that Kiyra would love to be here for the rest of her life," Kiyra cuffed Cart. "But some of us would like to go home."

"Right." Geoff said. "Kiyra, you said that there was a crack that you couldn't open. Maybe now would be a good time to try again."

Kiyra handed the rock to Geoff. "Try your luck. I didn't get anywhere with it." Geoff worked at it a bit for a moment, and then gave up.

"You're right. It's kept shut by magic." Geoff set it back in the middle of them. All six of them stared at it for the next five minutes, their brains hard at work. Suddenly, something happened that none of them could explain.

White light lit around the stone egg, so bright that the pickpockets jerked away from it and covered their eyes. Cowering in what could only be explained as fear, the pickpockets waited until the searing light stopped. They uncovered their eyes slowly, just in case the light started again. The light was over though and they were still alive and intact.

The stone egg wasn't, however, actually the hairline crack had upon and it was laying split perfectly in two halves. The stone egg proved to be hollow, and inside was a folded piece of paper. Curiously, Kiyra reached for it, but Geoff stopped her.

"It might be rigged." He told her seriously and carefully reached for it himself. Silently, the teenagers watched as he touched it and then giggled at their stupidity. Nothing happened and Geoff unfolded the paper.

"Should I read it?" He asked. "It definitely proves to be interesting."

"You have to read it." Toady begged. "Please, I wanna know what it says." Unable to wait any longer, Kiyra lunged for the scrap. Geoff jerked it away, but Cart snatched it away. He couldn't read, so he passed it to Julie.

"Meet Fly at T.G. at 12 one F.M." Julie read uncertainly.

"You're not reading it right." Cart told her.

"No, that's what it says." Geoff assured him. "It's a code, but a simple code. Fly is a name for a person, T.G. is a place, and the full moon is tonight. I think T.G. stands for Temple Goddess."

"Well, we have time for supper at the Dove, pick a couple of pockets on the way, and then we can be at the temple an hour before midnight." Kiyra was glad that she could solve some problems on her own, even if white light had to solve the others for her.

"No!" Geoff said fiercely. "Absolutely not. Me and Cart will go." Kiyra gave a snack of indignation.

"That's not fair! You can't tell me what to do!"

"Actually, he can." Merci reminded her. "He's… just… Geoff."

"You'd have to tie me to my bed afore I'd let Geoff tell me what to do!" Kiyra swore.

In the end, that's what Cart and Geoff had to do. They used spare rope borrowed from Randy the Bartender and tied her to Geoff's wooden framed bed, since Kiyra and the girls only had pallets. Geoff asked Merci and Julie to watch Kiyra for her, but at least he let her have the stone egg back. It had closed itself and Cart couldn't get it upon again to put the paper back in.

As Toady closed the door upon the furious Kiyra, he apologized. "It's for your own good, ya know."

It took Kiyra about an hour or two to saw away at the ropes with her knife which she had managed to keep. She had to do it carefully so that the two younger girls didn't notice her escape. They fell asleep after Kiyra had cut through the last strand and Kiyra climbed out the window skillfully.

The Temple of the Goddess was one of the main temples in the Temple District. Mostly everyone knew where it was, commoner or noble, and that included Kiyra. Finding it was no issue, Kiyra had visited the temple just the week before. Her bare feet were light and silent on the cobblestone steps. Judging by the moon in the sky, it was about midnight by the time Kiyra got to the temple. Not thinking, she walked right in.

Once Kiyra got under the door frame, hands seized her and pinned her hands behind her back. Struggling, Kiyra saw Geoff and Cart in the shadows by a pillar. Cart was holding Geoff back. Both wore faces full of fear. Kiyra shook her head at Geoff, willing him to stay there. All three street kids knew that there was no escape for Kiyra, no matter how hard they could fight. Geoff disappeared back into the shadows and Kiyra stopped struggling.

A blindfold was put about Kiyra's eyes and her wrists and ankles were tied securely. She was tossed into the back of a wagon and she could feel the wheels turning. Kiyra would hate to admit it, but she was terrified. She knew what she had done was stupid, walking in there without checking it out first. Geoff would have her head for that, if she got this alive.

Kiyra knew that sounded extreme, her maybe dying, but she knew it was a possibility. If this was an illegal operation, they would kill her. If this had to do with the Crown, Kiyra would be having an extended visit with the dungeon rats. Among the pickpockets were rumors of those caught and punished harshly, although no one really knew which were facts.

Finally, the wagon squealed to a stop and rough hands lifted her from the wagon bed. The ropes binding her feet were cut and she was shoved forward. Kiyra assumed they were walking in a building, because she didn't hear any noise from the streets. She heard the squeaky noise of a door being opened and Kiyra was pushed through the doorway.

Kiyra fell flat on her face and clenched her teeth. She would _not _cry out. Hearing footsteps thudding away from her, Kiyra wrestled herself into a sitting position, with her legs bent in front of her and arms still in back of her. She brought her knees up to her chin and forced her tied wrists under her rear end and under her legs.

With her hands in front of her, Kiyra could think better. She still had her knife tucked into her breeches for safekeeping. Reaching to her side and pulling it out, Kiyra placed it between her knees. Feeling for the knife, she pulled her wrists as far apart as her bonds allowed. She sawed through the rope slowly and carefully, not wanting to risk slitting her wrists. When her wrists were finally free, Kiyra tore off her blindfold.

The Baron George was sitting before her in a chair, with his eyebrows raised. "I'm impressed." He drawled. "I don't think I could do that."

"Of course you couldn't." Kiyra retorted.

"Then, again," George continued. "I wouldn't have gotten caught, so we're even. So who employed you to steal the stone? "

"That's what this is all about?" Kiyra sniggered. "I never did understand nobles."

"You didn't answer my question." The man informed her.

"Hmm, let's see, she was about my height, with blond hair, and green eyes." Kiyra said, pretending to think.

"No one employed you?" The baron seemed surprised.

"I employ myself. It's very profitable, no fees and no interest. You should try it sometime." Kiyra advised him and George's mouth quirked with amusement. Kiyra stood, stretching her stiff limbs.

"I'll take that into consideration. How did you get the stone upon?"

"Well, there was this bright white light and a blinding flash and poof!" Kiyra accented her story with hand gestures and an awed voice. She added to it in her normal voice. "But you're not going to believe that. You can have it back. It was fun to play with." Kiyra slipped her hand into her pocket and only felt empty room. She looked back to the Baron confusedly, and saw that he held the stone in his fist. Scowling, Kiyra leaned back.

Why did you care for Numair and Daine's child?" George changed the subject abruptly.

"Who, _Sarra_?" Kiyra was surprised, to say the least. "_Daine and Numair_?'

"You know, the black robe mage and…" Kiyra interrupted the baron.

"Yes, I know. The darkest robed mage and the wildest mage in Tortall. I'm not stupid." Kiyra scoffed. This time George laughed outright. "I don't have to explain my every move to a noble who I don't even know! Now, if you'll excuse me, I want to be well rested for my appointment at the perfumeries tomorrow. "

Kiyra turned her back to the Baron, halfway hoping that the door might be unlocked. It wasn't and she turned back to face George, who continued his questioning.

"Why did you come to the Temple?"

"To light some incense for the Goddess." Kiyra retorted.

"If you can't answer my questions, I might have to resort to some more drastic measures." George placed some strange looking instruments of torture on the table. They were all long, sharp, and evil-looking.

"On second thought," Kiyra gulped. "I got curious about what it was, and I wouldn't have jarred in like that, but they told me I couldn't go." Kiyra realized that she was babbling and stopped.

"Who are _they_?" George asked, fondly stroking a twisted blade. "Those two lads who were hiding by the pillar?'

"They're my friends." Kiyra defended them. "They were curious too, but they didn't want me to get in trouble again."

"So they try to keep you out of trouble, these two friends of yours?"

"They try. There was that time with the baker and the jewelry shop and…" George, sensing a never-ending list, held up his hand.

"You didn't know what was in my belt pouch before you took it?"

"Nope. I was rather disappointed that you didn't have it full up with coins."

"You shouldn't steal. You wouldn't have gotten into this fix if you hadn't stolen my belt pouch."

"Maybe not, but time was I heard _you_ stole once, when you were the Rogue's Majesty." Kiyra shot back.

"You're a quick youngster." George said admiringly. "Although I think a short stay in the dungeons would cool you down a bit, as is the punishment for stealing."

"I only stole a rock!" Kiyra protested. "The Lioness stole the Dominion Jewel from the monster and King Jonathon didn't punish her!"

"That's different." George's eyes sparkled.

"Maybe to you nobles." Kiyra muttered. "At least rats will be better company to what I've been talking to lately." Kiyra shot a meaningful look towards George's side of the room. "Do you really know how ta use them torture weapons?"

"I doubt it. They're just some tools I picked up in a hurry from my assistant's face paint and make up kit." George smirked.

* * *

The dungeons were cleaner than Kiyra had expected and there weren't any rats. The palace healers wouldn't allow rats in the dungeons because rats spread disease. After three days were up, Kiyra was thrown back onto the streets no worse for wear. She skipped her way to the Dancing Dove, in the morning sunlight. 

Kiyra had timed her entrance just as the pickpockets were finishing their breakfast. All the children were engrossed in their food a little more silent than usual. Her friends were sitting glumly at their usual table. It was the work of an amateur to slip in and sit next to her friends without them noticing.

"Well," She drawled. "I didn't exactly expect a welcoming committee, but a hello would have been nice." Kiyra laughed as her friends looked up startled.

"Kiyra!" Julie, Merci, and Toady lunged at Kiyra to hug her. Hearing the commotion, all the children turned to look. Seeing Kiyra, they cheered. Kiyra was a favorite among the younger ones, known for her kindness. Many a time she had given money to a young thief who hadn't stolen enough to please their masters.

"What were you thinking?" Geoff yelled at her. The pickpockets stopped cheering and watched solemnly. "I tell you not to come and you come anyway! Can't you listen to anything I tell you?"

"Only when you shout it at me!" Kiyra yelled back, winking at a particularly cowed girl.

"This isn't something for you to joke about!" Geoff silenced Kiyra by not bantering back as he usually did. "For three days we didn't know if you were dead or alive, where you were, or if you were hurt! We were worried and scared and…"

"He's right." Cart told her seriously.

"I'm sorry." Kiyra said. "I wasn't thinking when I didn't listen to you, Geoff." Geoff snorted. "I learned my lesson. The Baron George was very nice actually. I just spent some time in the palace basement."

"You spent time?" Toady's eyes were wide. The other young pickpockets' eyes were much the same.

"Yep." Kiyra told them proudly. Spending time was like getting caught by a cat but escaping before it bit down on your neck. The younger pickpockets were usually sent to the orphanages and the older ones were punished harshly.

"Can I have a moment with you?" Geoff asked Kiyra. Head hung low in false contrite, Kiyra nodded and trudged slowly to the stairwell that led to the thieves' quarters. On her way, she made faces at all the children watching to make them giggle. Behind her, Kiyra heard Geoff sigh.

Halfway up the staircase, Geoff stopped Kiyra. "Listen, things are different now." Kiyra raised her eyebrow at him. "Kiyra, not like that. Look, we've got a new majesty now. He did the old one in two days ago."

"Why are things gonna ta change?" There was no trace of tomfoolery left in Kiyra anymore.

"I don't think they're going to be for the better." Geoff confided. "He's a hard man, this Iago. He's killed one of the Rogue already, just for forgetting to call him his Majesty." Kiyra winced; that was harsh.

"Thanks for the warning. I'll watch my back." Kiyra said, turning and padding down the stairs. Near the end of the stairs, a hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.

"Kiyra, I missed you." Geoff told her, meeting her with eyes that transfixed her. Uncertainly, Kiyra reached up a hand to touch his cheek. Unaware that they were in full view of all the pickpockets, Geoff leaned down to kiss Kiyra. She returned the kiss and they broke apart a minute later, gasping. Suddenly aware of the hoots and catcalls of the children, Kiyra blushed and half-ran to her seat.

"Not a word." She warned her grinning friends.


	2. Slums September 463

**DISCLAIMER - You know what's mine and what's T.P.'s and we'll leave it at that.**

**CHAPTER TWO – September - Slums**

Kiyra ducked into a shadowed doorway that was untouched by the moonlight, waiting for a crowd of drunken men to pass. Holding her breath, she willed them not to see her. Kiyra knew that her one knife would have no effect on them. Kiyra released her breath when it was clear that they hadn't seen her. Turning around in the doorway, she met the eyes of a man who had crept up behind her and moaned in terror, reaching her hand to her belt knife instinctively.

"Kiyra, it's okay. It's me, Geoff." Geoff stepped out of the doorway into the moonlight so that she could see his face.

"Geoff! Ya scared me!" Putting her hands on her hips, Kiyra tried to be angry, but she couldn't when she was so relieved.

"I'm sorry. You shouldn't be out here alone." Geoff reminded her. "I told you that you've got to have either me or Cart with you after dark."

"I know, I know, it's just…" Kiyra trailed off, knowing that whatever excuse she thought up, Geoff would think it inadequate.

Geoff hadn't been so protective before Iago had taken the Rogue throne. Then again, before that, people didn't get murdered in the streets for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Crime rate had tripled since the change in Rogue leadership. Illegal drugs were sold on street corners and nowadays you couldn't walk through the streets after dark without getting mugged, Rogue or no. There were more gangs and Provost's men patrolled the streets more frequently.

It wasn't even all the Rogue that was causing trouble, either. It was just a tenth that got the other ninth in trouble. If every Rogue had been causing trouble, than Kiyra and her friends could bear it. Innocent people were getting hurt, though, and that made them mad. It was hard enough to keep the Dove's pickpockets from trouble, without trying not to get killed by your own people as well.

Which was why Geoff had followed Kiyra, who was just on her way back to the Dove after a night spent at Lalasa's shop.

"Listen, I'm going to tell you again, since you didn't hear me the first time." Geoff told her in a controlled manner. He was holding Kiyra's shoulders and looking straight into her face, his dark eyes serious. "It's not safe anymore. Walking the streets alone could you raped or killed. None of us want that."

"Sure, I understand that. You don't want me followed by some man and taken advantage of. What I don't understand is, why did you follow me and corner me in a doorway?" Kiyra hid a smile.

Geoff let go of her shoulders. "Kiyra, you have to believe me, I didn't come for those reasons. Please believe me." Geoff pleaded.

"Honestly, Geoff, I was just teasing." Kiyra giggled and Geoff started to tickle her. Geoff and Kiyra had practically grown up together and only he knew that just under her ribs was her most ticklish spot. Laughing, Kiyra broke away from him, turned, and came face to face with Iago.

If you saw Iago, you wouldn't that he was a cold blooded killer. He was actually quite handsome, with clean brown hair and blue eyes. He was tall with well defined muscles. Needless to say, you could make an educated guess on how he got some of the Rogue prostitutes to follow him.

"Good evening, your Majesty." Kiyra said and curtsied in her breeches, not willing to bow and bare the back of her neck to him. Geoff also bowed. Iago just nodded and strode off into the darkness.

Suddenly not in the mood for playing, Geoff put his arm around Kiyra and they swiftly walked to the Dancing Dove. Once outside the door, Geoff looked around before he spoke.

"Are you alright?" Geoff asked her.

"Yes. I just wish…" Kiyra didn't even bother to finish her sentence. Most of the Rogue felt the way that she did. The former King of the Rogue hadn't been perfect, but he was better than Iago.

Nodding, Geoff held Kiyra and for a moment she felt safe in his arms. Cart poked his head out of the common room and shook his head at them like they were children.

"We just finished a game o' cards and we're about to start another. You both in, ya stinkin' lovebirds?" Cart asked.

Geoff looked to Kiyra. "I'd like to, really, but I wanna to check on the children. This has been hardest for them." Kiyra said. Knowing what she meant, Geoff and Cart disappeared into the common room. Kiyra walked through the crowded common room and into a small hallway. Opening a door at the end of it, Kiyra tiptoed in.

The room wasn't large and every inch was used for the young pickpockets. On every wall, there were two bunks against it, with another bunk square in the middle of the room. The bunks were three beds high, and there was an average of three children in each. Not all of the pickpocket-ing children slept at the Dove, but many other street children came in nights.

Kiyra visited each bed, checking that the children were sleeping well. Wistfully, Kiyra touched the cheek of a six year old who still sucked her thumb. She was so _young_, Kiyra thought. She should be watched like a hawk by her mother, not sleeping in a crowded dormitory, where she could die in her sleep and no one would notice.

Seeing Toady, Kiyra ruffled his hair. He had a black eye and blood crusted on his nose, having gotten into a fight that afternoon. Kiyra had a brother at home, who was a bit older than Toady. Toady reminded her of him, so she had a soft spot for the little bugger.

Kiyra moved on, finding Merci in a tangle of limbs. Julie was almost fourteen and slept up in the girls' room, but Merci was barely eleven, still considered a child. Merci's long blond hair was messy and she probably hadn't washed her face in days.

Sleeping through the din in the common room seemed to be accomplishment enough, but these kids broke through the odds each day and made the best of their present circumstances. These were a bunch of snot-nosed, filthy, thieving urchins, but Kiyra loved them.

* * *

Drifting in her sleep, Kiyra floated on a cloud of air. Below her, she saw a green field filled with flowers. Kiyra saw running children in rags. They played as they ran, laughing and joking. Then, Kiyra heard… _sniffling_? Waking from her dream, Kiyra sat up on her pallet. 

Kiyra looked around, trying to find the source of the tears. Standing up, she walked over to Julie. "Julie, that you?" Julie stopped muffled her tears. Kiyra knelt down next to her.

"Julie, what happened?" Julie sat up and threw her arms around Kiyra, and she started to sob. Kiyra started to cry also. Hearing her friend cry was enough, but she was also worried. Feeling something wet on Julie's skirts, Kiyra froze. Leaning over and bringing the skirt to her nose, Kiyra could smell blood. Kiyra cursed mindlessly. She knew the signs.

Both girls were sobbing uncontrollably by now. The other girls started to wake around them. Most of them were prostitutes, but some were thieves like Julie and Kiyra. They gathered around and one of them lit a lamp. Seeing the blood and the bruises, they tried to comfort Julie. All of the girls in the room were crying for Julie and her lost innocence.

Knowing that she could do no good anymore, Kiyra left. She was furious, white-lipped and lived with rage. She stomped into the common room and over to where Cart and Geoff played cards. When they saw her, both looked up. Glad for once for the immense racket, Kiyra yelled who-knows-what over her tears. Only later did Kiyra find out that she had only been swearing at them.

"Kiyra?" Geoff asked worriedly. "Is that… blood?" Geoff lightly touched her breeches and hands. Julie's blood was on them.

"Come'on, let's go somewhere private." Cart motioned to a side room. Usually Kiyra would have protested going into a room that the prostitutes took their customers, but tonight she didn't even notice.

Once they were in the small room, Kiyra started pacing. She was softly swearing. Geoff grabbed her shoulders and stopped her. "Kiyra, what on earth? By the Trickster, if you've been hurt."

"It's Julie. She's hurt. I'm gonna kill him." Both of the boys understood what Kiyra meant as soon as she said it.

"Who was it?" Cart snapped, rolling up his sleeves.

"Is she okay now?" Geoff asked, wincing at his choice of words.

"She won't tell anyone who did it." Kiyra said. That was true, but Kiyra knew who had done it anyway. "The girls upstairs have her. She'll come through."

"I'm going to get a drink." Cart spat. He stalked out of the room.

"Are you all right?" Geoff asked. He knew Kiyra well enough to know that she was holding something back. Kiyra couldn't handle his warm hearted concern on top of everything else that night.

"Julie…she was so torn. The girls have her, but that ain't enough." Kiyra started a fresh flood of tears and Geoff sat down on the bed, holding her in his arms. "It's not fair. Iago, he's the one that did it. He was following me…it was my fault. If he had done it to me, Julie would've been fine."

"Stop it!" Geoff looked into Kiyra's watery eyes fiercely. "Either you or Julie, it would have been the same."

"I could've handled it. Julie's younger. Maybe I could've even gotten away." Kiyra whispered.

"I have to do something. We owe allegiance to the Rogue Majesty, but this is wrong. Iago is ruining everything."

"Can't you just kill him then?" Kiyra was very sleepy and complicated things were beginning to look simple to her.

"Iago has too much support. There is too many who like the way things are going right now." Geoff whispered to the sleeping girl.

* * *

The next night found Kiyra sitting on a bench in the Dove about an hour after the young pickpockets' supper. The room was filled with men and women, none of them 'respectable.' Kiyra herself didn't drink much, only a sip or two here and there. Drinks were flowing for the others in the common room. 

This night was especially prosperous for the Dove. Flashing color could be seen at every corner of the room and there was steady traffic coming in and out of the side rooms. Kiyra was trading stories with a prostitute named Rachel when she excused herself. Some inner feeling told Kiyra that she needed to check the children _now._

Kiyra walked briskly through the side wall, speeding up when she heard the children's furious shouts. Bursting into the room, Kiyra seized up the situation in a glance. Older teenagers were trying to force Kiyra's children out of their room. Kiyra didn't know them, but they were her age and tough-looking. They were also hurting the Dove's pickpockets.

"Cut it out!" Kiyra shouted at the top of her lungs. Both the foreign kids and the Dove's pickpockets froze. "I just want to know what's going on." Kiyra spoke in an exaggerated controlled voice.

"They be trying to kick us picks out!" Toady shouted angrily. 'Picks' was what the Dove's pickpockets called themselves.

"His Majesty told us we could! It's ours now." The foreign boy who spoke was pierced in multiple places and tapped a thick stick on his palm.

"Where did he say that the Dove's picks would live?" Kiyra was fighting her temper, but she was losing the battle.

A tattooed girl shrugged. "Iago said that you all could die for all he cared. He cares more about us Mare's Head pickpockets than you Doves."

"I don't care." Tyrell said stubbornly. He was a twelve year old Bazhir pick. "You can't turn us out. We won't let you." The Dove's picks all nodded and scowled.

"Iago also said that we could use force if you didn't comply." The pierced boy addressed Kiyra on this question.

"We'd be happy to force you." The tattooed girl grabbed a seven year old girl and shook her like a rat. Kiyra stepped forward calmly, smiled, and punched the tattooed girl straight in the face.

Shaking out her fist, Kiyra dodged the pierced boy and his burly friend. The Dove's picks and the Mare's Head kids threw themselves at each other. Slowly, the brawl moved out of the picks' room and into the common room. Cart eagerly socked a girl who was slapping Merci. Geoff tried to tug the children apart, but gave up after a couple moments. Sighing, he tackled a man who was shoving a Dove's pick. Some young troublemakers, not Dove's picks, left the Dove and went door to door. They spread the word about the large brawl which included both men and children. Even more troublemakers and those wanting to help out their friends came out and joined the fight. Only a few city folk were about, since it was almost dark. Those that were out moved out of the way, but most stayed to watch.

The brawl spread out into the nighttime marketplace. Kiyra was enthralled into the heat of the moment and shoved a man into a stall, laughing. Most of the wooden stalls were crushed beyond repair by this point. All of a sudden, the clops of horses' hooves could be heard. Everyone knew that meant the Provost's men and the brawl ended.

All the men, boys, and girls involved scattered like sparrows when the Provost's men charged their horses into the dissolving fray. The watchmen grabbed any bodies that they could get a hold of and clapped them in irons. In moments, the streets were calm again. The Provost's men sighed with relief.

* * *

Kiyra shifted around the clump of bodies around her. Merci started to cough fitfully. When the young girl's coughs continued, Kiyra sat up and helped Merci to do the same. After the brawl, the sixteen picks that the Provost's men had caught had been in the dungeons for two weeks. Kiyra suspected that whoever had placed them there had forgotten about them. 

Kiyra was the oldest pick there by a couple years. She wouldn't have gotten caught if she hadn't stopped running to free a Dove's pick from the watchmen. Now, both Kiyra and the six year old boy were still here. Dann was the youngest pick of the sixteen. Kiyra knew that adults had also been captured, but they weren't kept in the small, damp dungeon that Kiyra was in.

This dungeon room was small and didn't even have a window. The only light came from a door at the end of the corridor. The sixteen children could barely fit in the cell and in some places it was hard to tell whose limbs belonged to whom. The picks used a pail to go to the bathroom in. Water dripped from the ceiling and the picks could see their breath in the air. Each of the children had coughs bad enough to wrack their little bodies. Their bread was brought twice a day by a cloaked jailer who refused to speak to them.

"Kiyra, I don't feel so good." Merci rasped.

"I know, kid. I don't understand." Kiyra said frustratingly. "When I spent time, I wasn't treated like this."

"Can't you do something?" Dann asked. All the picks looked to Kiyra expectantly. Kiyra sighed. Maybe she could do something. Standing up, Kiyra cleared her throat.

"Hey!" she screamed. "Let us out! Is anyone there?" No one answered. The picks sighed disappointedly. Kiyra was about to give up for good, but Dann caught her eyes. Kiyra took up her new resolve. She could make them listen to her.

"Aaeeeiiiiiiiii!" Kiyra shouted. The picks looked at her as if she was mad. "Enooorroooflllllaaa! Enooorroooflllllaaa!" Tyrell rolled his eyes and took up the cry.

Toady was next and soon all the picks were shouting. Kiyra was surprised by the thundering noise they made until she saw blue light around Tyrell. He was using his Gift to make the noise much louder.

"Enooorroooflllllaaa! Enooorroooflllllaaa!" Kiyra started to stomp to the beat of the war cry and the picks followed her lead. A jailer ran into view, followed by another. Kiyra could see their mouths forming the words 'shut up' and 'stop', but she couldn't hear what they were saying. Ignoring them, the picks kept up the chant. Five more jailers and a palace watchman joined the first two. The seven adults couldn't get the sixteen children to listen.

A tall, dark haired man joined the other adults. He had black power crackling around his hands. Kiyra blanched; this was Numair Salmalín. Kiyra braced herself and ignored him also. Kiyra saw Baron George and shouted all the louder. The picks' throats felt raw and bloody, because of their shouting and the coughs.

The king and the queen walked down a small staircase outside of the cell. Kiyra grinned. It was good for the nobles to take notice of common people. It kept them on their feet.

"Silence!" The king commanded, his voice made loud by Numair's magic. The picks faltered for a moment, but when Kiyra kept stomping and screaming the 'enoroflla' war cry, they did too.

"Silence!" Jonathon commanded. "I am willing to negotiate!" Kiyra smiled. Now they were getting somewhere. With one last cry, Kiyra turned and made a quick hand gesture. The picks stopped immediately.

"Who was making the racket extend throughout the premises?" Master Numair demanded. The picks looked at him blankly and he sighed. "Who was making that racket sound louder? Everyone could hear it throughout the whole entire castle."

The picks laughed and slapped Tyrell's hands in appreciation.

"Why are they still here?" Queen Thayet asked. "The other brawl prisoners were released last week."

"They were needed for questioning." The king replied, rubbing his forehead. "The men said that the brawl started with the picks."

"Then our questioning should have been a week ago." Kiyra told him. "Not when we're too sick to talk." On cue, Merci began to cough. Her fake cough soon turned to rough hacking and a girl had to support her. The Queen frowned worriedly.

"All we want to know is what started the brawl." King Jonathon said. "The damage on the markets was extensive. I want to know if they just meant to cause trouble or if it was unplanned."

"I know who started it." Kiyra said gleefully. "I won't tell you for nothin' though."

The king reached into his pockets and pulled out a handful of gold coins. "Will this suffice?"

"I don't take bribes." Kiyra laughed, but soon became serious again. "I want a healer. The best you've got. Duke Baird, no less."

For a moment, Numair, the monarchs, the Baron George, and the picks gaped at her. Queen Thayet was the first to break. Kiyra's observant eyes picked up the slight nod that the queen gave the king.

"Alright." King Jonathon said. "I'll inform Duke Baird as soon as you tell me who started the brawl."

"I thought you'd be above turning over one of your friends." The baron George seemed almost disappointed. Kiyra shrugged. She couldn't give anything away until the king made the deal.

"You have to let us picks go, too." Kiyra cautioned. The king nodded and waited for the name. Tyrell and Merci, the oldest of the picks besides Kiyra, figured out what Kiyra was going to do. Eyes wide, they shook their heads fervently. Toady pleaded softly, his words incomprehensible. George looked at Kiyra disapprovingly, thinking that she was going to tell on one of the picks.

"It was me." Kiyra said happily. "I threw the very first punch."

"Are you telling the truth?" asked the king.

"Truth drips from my lips as honey from the hive." Kiyra told him. "Mithros strike me down if I lie."

"I should have guessed it would be you." The Baron George growled with a smile. He had the Sight and could see a lie on Kiyra if she spoke one. George knew that she spoke the truth.

"A deal is a deal." King Jonathon spoke wryly. "We'll release all your 'picks' after Duke Baird has seen to them. As for you, we'll think of a suitable punishment."

"Why did you start the brawl?" Queen Thayet asked.

"They were insulting your beauty and the king's honor." Kiyra's eyes wide with eagerness. "They insulted your son's bride and your children."

"Don't believe a word she speaks." George cautioned, the corners of his mouth turned up into a smile.

"Don't worry, I wasn't." Queen Thayet chuckled.

"Please don't hurt her." Toady begged. Thayet, Jonathon, Numair, and George all turned to look at him. "Kiyra only threw the punch because one of the others was shaking Elsie."

"She only did it for us. Please, let her come with us." Merci wiped the blood off her chin and pleaded.

Queen Thayet called one of the guards over. "Get Duke Baird right away. Tell him that he'll be a while." The guard bowed and obeyed.

"Kiyra will be fine." King Jonathon told the picks. "Unfortunately, the damage will need to be repaid. The shopkeepers need some kind of compensation and most of the money in the treasury is already planned for. If Kiyra is the one that started it, then she will be the one to fix it."

"All I have to do is repay it?" Kiyra asked incredulously. "I'll sell my jewels, heirlooms, and maybe even take out a loan. I'll get back to you within the week."

"Kiyra's right." George said. "She'll never make that kind of money, not unless you send her to the mines. I don't think that would be fair, not when she didn't mean to cause the damage."

"I agree with you." King Jonathon said. "We'll let you leave with your friends if you promise not to start any more destructive brawls."

Kiyra was spared making that promise by Duke Baird, who arrived then. Kiyra thought that a rich healer duke wouldn't have wanted to touch the grimy children, but Duke Baird surprised her. Not only did he touch them, but he handled them with utmost gentleness. Kiyra was impressed.

Every single pick was cured of their cough, cold, and anything else that might be wrong with them. The picks were escorted to a small palace gate by a squad of guards and Numair. Right before the children were to leave, Numair drew Kiyra aside.

"George tells me that you were the one to take care of my daughter. I want to thank you for that. If you need anything within reason, please come to me or my wife." Master Numair said seriously. Kiyra was already planning on taking him up on the offer.

The picks ran through the streets, eager to be free. The city folk moved out of the way pretty quickly when they saw sixteen urchins running in a pack in plain daylight. Kiyra would've tested fate and picked a pocket, but the picks were running to fast.

One look at the Dancing Dove squelched their excitement. The windows were boarded up neatly and there were four big men standing near the front door. Kiyra recognized them as some of Iago's cronies and they were holding thick clubs. The inn was quiet, not rowdy as it should have been. Kiyra smelled trouble immediately.

"Merci, Toady, Wren and Dann," Kiyra named four picks that she could trust. "I want all of you to go to the different establishments around here and find out what's going on. Listen around, too. The people will be talking."

"I want Tyrell, Finn, Rye, Lars, and Emma to come with me." Kiyra said. "The rest of you, find somewhere safe and wait out for a bit."

After the other picks left, Kiyra spoke to the five that had stayed behind. Once again, she knew that she could trust them with a job.

"What do ya want us to do?" Tyrell asked.

"We have to find out what's going on. They might have some of us in there." Kiyra explained.

"We could send someone to the front door, to see if they'll let us in." A black skinned, sinewy ten year old suggested. "I'll go."

"Good idea, Finn. Be careful." Kiyra and the four remaining picks tried to look natural as Finn walked casually up to the Dove.

Finn was stopped by the guards at the door. One particularly burly guard shoved him into the mud. Finn jumped straight up, declaring that, "I have a message for his Majesty." He was admitted then and the other picks waited nervously. Kiyra held her breath until she heard Iago shouting and Finn was thrown back into the mud in front of the Dove.

Kiyra watched the four guards as she sidled over to Finn. She helped him stand up and touched his split lip and bruised face. "Come'on, kid." Kiyra didn't use Finn's name so that the guards didn't learn it.

Once they made it to the other picks, Finn talked brokenly. "It's horrible in there. I didn't see none of our folks, Randy and Dillus. There's strange ladies all over and Iago's men in swarms."

"Did you see Cart, Geoff, or Julie?" Kiyra asked. Finn shook his head. "Any of the girls?" Once again Finn shook his head, spitting out a stream of blood that came from his lip.

Emma, a nine year old, left the group. Kiyra noticed that she headed for Toady, who stood on a street corner. Emma exchanged words with him briefly and returned, biting her lip. At first she didn't say anything, and Kiyra waited impatiently.

"What did he say?" Rye questioned. He was Emma's twin sister. Both children had brown skin, although it wasn't near as dark as Finn's. The pair looked so much alike that without the different lengths in their dark, wavy hair, they would be indistinguishable.

Emma stared at the ground as she answered, fiddling with her braids. "Toady said that Iago is keeping the girls captive on the upstairs of the Dove." Emma sniffed, a tear running down her cheek. Emma was soft-hearted, but strong when she had to be.

"We have to get them out." Kiyra declared, her fists tightly clenched. "Lars and Rye, go find all of our picks that we can trust. Meet back in the market." Lars and Rye set off at a run. "Finn and Emma, I want you two to find Cart and Geoff. They'll know what to do. Tyrell, you're with me."

Emma, Lars, Rye, and Finn ran back into the street. Tyrell and Kiyra scampered up into a woodpile in the shadows and onto the one-story kitchen roof. Without Kiyra even having to tell him, Tyrell knew what she wanted him to do. They padded on the rooftop without making a sound. Listening at windows, they tried to figure out where Iago had the girls.

Hearing soft talking at one window, Kiyra pulled at the nails that held a plank over the window. She and Tyrell together loosened the nails enough to pull one plank out and set it carefully on the roof. Kiyra pressed her ear to the space. She couldn't hear a thing.

Tyrell and Kiyra had pulled all of the planks from that window within five minutes. Motioning for him to stay there, Kiyra opened the shutters and jumped in. Instantly, someone grabbed her and held a knife to her throat. As she was pulled into the corner of the room, Kiyra held still. She knew that one slip up could mean death.

The man who had grabbed her turned her around to face him. "Kiyra, what are you doing?" Geoff said in a whisper.

"Get the knife off my throat." Kiyra hissed. Once the offending object was withdrawn, Kiyra tiptoed to the window and helped Tyrell hop in. "We just got out. We had to know what was going on."

"You're a little late to help. Cart and I just got all of the girls out." Geoff spoke quickly. "Tyrell, wait here with Kiyra." With that, Geoff disappeared out of the room's door.

Kiyra rolled her eyes and turned around to look out of the window. Iago stared back at her. Kiyra almost fainted from the shock. Cursing silently, she leapt backwards and blocked his fist with an arm. Tyrell also sprung back when he saw Iago jump through the window into the room.

Iago circled Kiyra, looking at her coldly. Kiyra fought her rising terror and grabbed Tyrell by his shirt collar. She jerked him over to the window and gave him a push to let him know what he was supposed to do. Tyrell reluctantly climbed out, but waited for Kiyra on the other end.

Iago attacked with a speed that Kiyra could not match. She cried out as one of his rock-hard fists whammed into her face with the force of a runaway wagon. The force propelled her backwards through the window. She landed on her back on one of the planks and it started to slide off the roof.

If Tyrell hadn't grabbed Kiyra's arm, Kiyra would have broken her neck for sure. Even still, all Tyrell's help did was twist Kiyra around so that she wouldn't break her neck. She still slid off the roof, but she landed on her stomach, not her head. Tyrell also slid off, but he grabbed the edge of the one story roof and dropped onto his feet.

Kiyra's breath was knocked out completely. She couldn't inhale or exhale. Iago jumped from the roof with the grace of a cat. Drawing a knife, he advanced on Kiyra and she knew that she was going to die.

"Leave her be!" Tyrell shouted, swinging one of the planks at Iago. Iago avoided it easily and tugged one end of it. Tyrell stumbled forward, barely missing the end of Iago's knife.

Geoff and Cart ran out the inn, dodging Iago's henchmen. Geoff tackled Iago and twisted the knife around so that it pointed at Iago's chest. Tyrell rolled away and sat up. As Tyrell helped Kiyra away from the struggling men, drunk and rowdy men pored out of the Dove. They were all loyal to Iago.

Men that did not support the current Majesty pushed through the crowd. They also wanted to see that Iago's men did not interfere with the fight.

Geoff could have ended it right there with added pressure on the knife, but instead he sprung backwards. Iago also jumped up. Geoff drew his own knife and everyone present made a ring around the two, all strangely silent.

Kiyra could finally breathe again and Tyrell pulled her up. Wincing as her ribs shifted, Kiyra rested an arm on Emma's shoulder. Kiyra didn't dare take her eyes off Geoff and Iago to see what other picks were there.

Geoff and Iago circled each other, daggers raised at the ready. Kiyra threw a prayer to every god and goddess that she had ever heard of. Iago lunged and Geoff twisted. Iago cursed and Kiyra saw a stream of blood coming from his sword arm. No one, not even those who supported Geoff, cheered. They did not want to be singled out for ill treatment, if Iago killed Geoff.

Geoff feinted to the side and attacked at the other instead. Iago was waiting for him and slashed at his neck. Geoff leaned back just enough for the dagger to only cut the surface of his throat. Emma gasped and clung tighter to Kiyra's hand. Geoff moved his dagger so fast that Kiyra couldn't even follow it with her eyes.

After that one fatal cut, Geoff stood victoriously over Iago's corpse.

Kiyra cheered loudly, turning and hugging Emma with uncontrolled glee.

Rye, Tyrell, Finn and Lars ran towards Geoff to congratulate him. Merci and Wren shoved their way through the crowd over to Kiyra. Merci held Dann by the hand.

"Kiyra, you look awful!" Merci touched Kiyra's face lightly.

All of a sudden, the pain hit Kiyra so fierce that she almost screamed. With all the excitement, Kiyra hadn't noticed her face. Iago had punched her straight in the face. Kiyra knew that she hadn't broken any bones falling off the roof, but it still hurt. From the feel of it, Kiyra was black and blue already. Pushing the pain to the back of her mind, Kiyra ginned.

"No matter!" She yelled above the din. "We have to tell all of them in the Rogue!"

* * *

Later that night, every inn and bar in Corus was crowded and celebrating. Only a select few had enjoyed Iago's rule and those in the Rogue knew Geoff to be an upstanding young man. Looking around the Dove, Kiyra could see all of her young pick friends. Geoff stood amongst the crowd laughing and drinking a little. Kiyra usually didn't drink but tonight was different. Grabbing a beer from Randy, Kiyra pushed her way over to Geoff. 

Upon seeing her, Geoff made a sad face at her. Kiyra stuck her tongue out at him. Both her eyes were blackened and her nose was swollen. Her cheekbones were bruised. Although the pain was only a dull ache now, Kiyra knew she looked a bit stupid.

"Hello, yer Majesty." Kiyra bowed, straightened, and took a swig of her beer. Geoff looked at her amused, with one eyebrow raised.

"You're drunk." He pointed out wryly.

"Never!" Kiyra protested, purposely slurring her words. She wasn't drunk, just a bit giddy. "I never get drunk."

Kiyra turned and saw the Baron George in a corner of the room. He was drinking with a stout, grey haired man that Kiyra knew as Myles. Myles was drunk already and the night was only half over. Kiyra grabbed another couple of beers and walked over to the table.

"What happened to you?" Myles slurred.

"Nothing much. You shouldn't be drinkin'." Kiyra said as she handed him a pint.

"It's mother's milk to me." Myles slurped from the mug.

"I thought you weren't to start any more fights." The Baron George motioned at her face. "What happened to you?"

"I fell backwards through a window and off the roof." Kiyra grinned proudly. George just shook his head, face resigned.

"Attention!" Kiyra turned to look at Geoff, just like everyone else. The whole room was quickly silenced. "I know that this is a time of celebration, but I just want to tell you that under my rule, things will be run as fairly as I can make them. There will be no more people scared to walk the streets at night for fear of being hurt. Also most importantly…" Geoff paused theatrically.

"Drinks are free tonight!"

**If you review, I'll update sooner.**  



	3. Goats October 463

**CHAPTER THREE – October – Goats**

Kiyra woke up in the middle of the night. Rolling over, she looked at Julie's cot. It was empty. Groaning, Kiyra heaved herself up. She knew where Julie would be. Ever since Julie had been raped, she had been having trouble sleeping. Kiyra could hardly begrudge her for it.

Tugging on her worn boots, Kiyra walked lightly down the stairs. She passed through the common room and Cart pointed to the kitchen, confirming what Kiyra had guessed. Dodging cooks and serving girls, Kiyra walked over to a warm spot near the brick ovens.

"Julie, you need to get some sleep." Kiyra plopped herself down next to her friend.

"I couldn't." Julie munched on a sweet roll. Ripping it in half, she gave a piece to Kiyra.

"Listen, if you ever need to talk…" Kiyra paused. Julie was younger than her, but Kiyra couldn't know exactly how she felt. After all, she had never been raped, had she?

"Am I dirty?" Julie asked plaintively. Kiyra was taken aback. Slowly, she rolled her answer around in her mouth before answering.

"I don't think so. No, definitely not. It just happened to you. It's Iago's fault and not yours in the least." Kiyra hoped that Julie understood what she meant.

"What if I provoked it in some way?" Julie traced the indents on the wood floor with her finger.

"Julie, you're not like that at all." Kiyra sighed when Julie looked at her skeptically. Kiyra stood up and pulled her friend to her feet. Leading her to the kitchen door, Kiyra pointed to Geoff.

Flower girls and prostitutes circled him, dancing provocatively. They were scantily dressed and showing more chest than Julie or Kiyra ever would. Geoff was laughing and joking with Cart. Other than smiling at the girls, he barely paid them any notice.

Kiyra turned Julie to face her. "They're provoking Geoff and Cart and you don't see them hurting anybody, do you?"

Julie puzzled over that for a moment. "I suppose not."

"It's the kind of man who does it, not the kind of girl who has it done to her. Men should have manliness in them to have self-control." Kiyra spoke firmly, not leaving any room for Julie to doubt.

"I think I'm with child." Julie said. "I missed my monthly."

Kiyra stood pole-axed. "I don't exactly think you want my congratulations, but I'm gonna give you them anyway."

"I'm too young to have a kid!" Julie cried. "I don't know what to do!"

Kiyra and Julie both knew about the plants that would make you lose the baby. Kiyra thought that they were wrong, and hoped that Julie wouldn't choose to use them.

"Are you gonna use the Childlose plant?" Kiyra asked seriously.

"I don't think so. I'm just scared. There's so much to learn. I'm not ready to be a mother." Julie sat down and rested her head on her knees.

"You could always give the baby up to an orphanage." Kiyra suggested as she knelt.

"No. If I carry it for nine months, I'm keeping my child." Julie's muffled voice emitted from between her arms.

"I'll help you, then." Kiyra announced. "I've a friend, Lalasa. She has a baby and she'll help you learn. She's real nice."

Julie sniffled. Kiyra drew her into a hug. A man yelled at them to move. Realizing that they were in the middle of a doorway, both girls giggled. Kiyra and Julie leapt out of the way.

"Now will you come to bed?" Kiyra smiled and Julie led the way.

* * *

It was the last time that Kiyra could swim in Corus' river. The water was icy, but Kiyra and the picks were having too much fun to care. Only the picks who could swim well were in the water. Julie and Merci stayed near the docks just in case they got tired. Kiyra slid beneath the surface to see how long she could hold her breath. When she resurfaced, Julie was calling her name. 

Kiyra swam over, noticing that Geoff crouched on the docks.

"I have to ask you something." Geoff told her. "I need a small group of picks who can do harder things than the others. Can you lead them?"

Kiyra laughed. "Sure. What sort of things do you want them to do?"

"Teach them weapons, advanced thieving, and Court manners." Geoff said matter-of-factly.

Treading water, Kiyra turned to looked at Julie. "Did he just say Court manners?" Julie nodded, hiding a smile. "Why?"

"I'll explain later. I want you to handpick them. Make sure that you can trust all of them." Geoff told her.

"When do you want them ready?" Kiyra asked the King of the Rogue. "I'll have them picked by tonight, if that's fine."

"That's perfect." Geoff told her. Extending a hand to her, he intended to help her up. Bracing herself on one of the dock's supports, Kiyra yanked hard on his hand. Geoff tumbled into the water. Laughing, Kiyra swam for her life. She was going to catch it now.

* * *

Outside of Geoff's rooms, Kiyra overlooked her force. Oldest of her group was Tyrell at twelve. He was Bazhir and had a blue-gift. Eleven-year old, fair-skinned Merci was next oldest. Lars was also eleven and obviously Scanren. Finn, the black ten year old, stood straight and tall. Cole looked to be about ten and had brown hair and green eyes. Rye and Emma, both nine, were next. They were the identical twins, with dark curly hair and black eyes. Straw-haired, grey eyed Toady with all of his eight-year old impishness was next. Wren was a seven year old blond-haired girl, who never stopped smiling. Dann was only six, redheaded, and freckled, but Kiyra knew that she could depend on him. 

Nodding at her crowd, Kiyra rapped on Geoff's door. Almost instantly, the door was pulled open. Geoff appeared in the doorway.

"Are these them?" Geoff asked. All the picks, including Kiyra answered. The eleven voices chanted, "Yes, sir!"

Geoff smiled and beckoned them in. The picks stood until Geoff bid them to sit down. Sitting on any available surface, the picks waited patiently until Geoff began to speak.

"No doubt Kiyra told you that you all were picked for a special force of picks. You are and will be the elite of all picks. You will train with weapons as the pages do. You'll learn thieving from the best of us. Lastly, you'll learn court manners for a special mission this month."

The picks' eyes glowed with excitement. All of them grinned from ear to ear. This sounded exciting.

"You'll need to pick a name for yourselves." Geoff continued. "This is real training. You'll have to be at every lesson, unless you have a really good excuse. Once you get up to scratch, I'll give you each one of these." Geoff pulled out a sharp dagger with gold wire twisted around the hilt. It was about a foot long, with strong steel. All the picks stared at it in awe. Kiyra gaped most of all.

"Those would cost you a fortune." Kiyra accused. She was having trouble believing that he would do that for all if them.

"Mistrustful as ever." Geoff teased. "No, I swear upon my good name that when you all prove worthy of them, they will be yours. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Geoff used the window as an exit, rather than the door.

"We need to choose a name." Kiyra reminded the picks. "Let's think."

"How about Minions?" Cole tried to look evil and failed completely.

"Kiyrans?" Dann laughed.

"Bully Boys?" Toady flexed his biceps.

"Three of us are girls, idjit!" Wren shoved Toady.

"Hey!" Toady said indignantly, shaking his wavy hair out of his eyes.

"Enoroflla?" Merci suggested.

"I like the sound of that." Tyrell agreed.

"What did it mean, anyway?"

"It was just 'all for one' backwards. It was all that I could think of at the moment." Kiyra shrugged. "Enoroflla is most of a mouthful, though."

"We need something that shouts commoners, but it has to be tough." Rye said calculatingly.

"Goats!" Toady shouted. "They're strong, hardy, and stubborn."

"They travel in herds, too, just like us." Wren pointed out.

"Our motto could be enoroflla." Emma jumped up excitedly. "We could shout it like a war cry."

"I like it. The Goats. " Lars said. "It's simple enough."

"I like it too." Dann added.

"Should we take a vote on it?" Kiyra asked and eleven hands were raised. "Alright Goats, your first order is to get a good night's sleep. Wake early, before sunrise."

And so, the first Goat meeting was adjourned with the enoroflla chant used as a goodbye.

* * *

Geoff had to wake Kiyra up. As Kiyra stumbled into the common room, the other ten Goats waited patiently for her. They seemed to be waiting for orders. Kiyra looked to Geoff for them. 

"I asked a Shang warrior to teach you."

"The Shang Goat?" Finn teased, white teeth contrasting with his dark skin.

"The Shang Rat." Geoff corrected with a grin. "He's waiting in the side courtyard. After an hour, come to breakfast. One of my friends will teach you court manners. After two hours of that, Kiyra says what you do for the rest of the day. Skip to it, Goats."

Most picks already knew some form of hand-to-hand combat that usually involved sharp elbows and quick punches. Kiyra knew that studying with a Shang Rat would improve their fighting greatly.

Kiyra led the way into the courtyard. A small, wiry man lounged against a crooked tree. Kiyra walked forward confidently, extending a hand for the Shang Rat to shake.

Next thing Kiyra knew, she was flying through the air and slamming onto the ground. Yelping, Kiyra jumped up. Glaring at the smirking Rat, Kiyra heard giggles coming from the other Goats. Slowly, she also began to grin.

The Rat turned to the Goats. "Why are you laughing? You're next." Emma visibly gulped. "Line up. When I throw you, twist yourself so that you land on your stomach. Slap the ground when you fall. Does any one know how to do?"

Finn raised his hand and stepped forward, giving the Rat his arm. The Rat gave it a hard tug and Finn flew as Kiyra had. Finn, though, slapped the cobblestones. Leaping up, he turned to face the Rat with his fists raised.

"Good." The Rat praised Finn. "Where did you learn how to do that?"

"Stefan the hostler snuck me in the palace so that I could watch the pages practice." Finn explained. "I'd help him with the horses in return."

"All of you, make a line. I'll throw each of you. After you've fallen correctly three times, you may rest."

Perhaps the picks learned fast because they were used to being wary and having to learn fast. In half an hour, all eleven Goats had mastered the fall, even little Dann. For the remaining fifteen minutes, the Rat taught them simple punches and blocks. As a parting note, the Rat threatened them to make them practice.

Breakfast was a quiet affair for the Goats. The other picks were as noisy as ever, but the Goats were exhausted from their lesson. Stuffing food in their mouths as fast as they could, the Goats examined their bruises and scrapes while they chewed. Geoff cheerfully waved at Kiyra as she was inspecting a particularly nasty bruise.

After breakfast, the other picks left to pick some pockets. The Goats waited, wondering who their etiquette teacher was going to be. Surprisingly, it was Myles, the man that Kiyra only knew as a drunk that frequently stopped at the Dove.

"You're gonna teach us manners?" Tyrell asked. Tyrell had met Myles before and knew him as Kiyra did.

"I chose only the best of teachers." Geoff bowed with flourish. "I present to you, Sir Myles of Barony Olau."

Kiyra's jaw dropped. "The Lioness' father? Myles, you never told me!" She accused.

"There was no need." Myles said simply. "Now, if we may begin…"

Two hours, many bows and curtsies, dozens of titles, and thousands of mistakes later, the Goats were free. Kiyra really didn't see the use of her learning to curtsy when she hadn't worn a dress for years, but Sir Myles had insisted that the girls learn both bows and curtsies. The Goats rubbed their aching backs as they lurched into the sunlight.

"How are you, my fair ladies and good gentlemen?" Geoff smirked and mock-bowed at the Goats.

Dutifully, the four girls curtsied and the seven boys bowed as they would to a king. On her way up from the dip, Kiyra made a rude gesture that one would not expect a lady to make. Geoff laughed at her, as did the other Goats.

"Now, my Goats," Geoff said, "You must do whatever Kiyra tells you to do for the rest of the day. Don't let her work you too hard."

Kiyra smiled wryly. "I don't think that I could bear to crack the whip right now. I'm in too much pain."

"Can we swim?" Emma asked, wiping sweat off her forehead. Although the weather was cool, the Goats had been working hard all morning.

"I can't swim!" protested Dann worriedly.

"Come'on, I wanna swim!" Toady begged.

"That sounds like a good idea to me." Kiyra agreed. "We'll teach those who can't swim and after, we'll get some picking done." Picking was the shortened term for pickpocketing, just as pick was for the one who stole.

"This whole Goat thing," Rye contemplated. "It might actually be fun, the learning part."

Lars threw an arm around Rye's shoulder. "Of course. Now, all we need is pretty girls and we'll be set… ouch!" Lars winced as little Wren kicked his shin.

* * *

A few days later, it was evening. Most of the Goats were sleeping already, but Kiyra had some business to take care of. She walked into the Dove's common room where she knew that her older friends would be. Sure enough, Julie, Cart, and Geoff were in the usual spot by the hearth. Shoving her way through the crowd, Kiyra walked over to Julie. 

"Come with me." Kiyra ordered. "I have someone for you to meet."

"I'm tired." Julie complained as she started to heave herself out of her chair. Kiyra grabbed an arm to help her up. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see." Kiyra noticed that Cart was looking towards Julie protectively. "It's alright." She told him. "Really, she'll be back before bedtime."

The pair walked out of the Dove, Kiyra leading the way. Kiyra knew it well, although she hadn't visited it in over a month. Julie just followed where Kiyra led, a slight smile dancing on her lips. Kiyra peered into darkness to find a certain shop with a sewing needle and cloth on the wooden sign.

"Ah…here it is." Kiyra stepped to the door and reached to her pocket. Pulling out a lock pick, she went to work. Within a minute, the door was swinging upon and Kiyra slipped in.

"Kiyra, is this legal?" Julie whispered.

"I always use lock-picks and silence when about my legal business." Kiyra teased. "No, I know the one who owns the shop. If I know her correctly, she'll be in the back room right now."

Kiyra took off her dusty shoes at the door so that she could walk the floor quieter in her grimy feet. Julie did the same, only she had stockings. Walking across the abandoned shop room, Kiyra rapped on a side door. She smiled when she heard a surprised gasp.

"It's just me, Lalasa. May I come in?" Kiyra smiled to hear Lalasa's sigh of relief.

"Kiyra, how many times have I told you not to scare me like that?" Lalasa pulled open the door, a scolding look on her face.

"Too many to count, so I won't bother with it." Kiyra said impishly. "This is Julie." Kiyra pulled Julie out of the shadows.

"It's nice to meet you, Julie. I'm Lalasa." Lalasa reached out to shake her hand, and Kiyra dissolved into laughter. Kiyra had a mental picture of Julie grabbing Lalasa's hand and throwing her, as the Shang Rat had done to herself. Lalasa and Julie didn't know what had happened and just shared an exasperated look.

"Anyway," Kiyra cleared her throat awkwardly. "Julie here, she wants to know how to take care of kids. Babies, mostly. If you had time at night, you could teach her, and she'd watch your little man."

Lalasa saw what Kiyra had left unspoken and looked to Julie's stomach. "Congratulations." Julie blushed. "Of course, I'll teach her. Do you want to learn too?" Lalasa asked Julie.

Kiyra thought for a minute, but shook her head wistfully. "I'd better not. Maybe once in a while, but I'm tired as…" Kiyra caught a look from Lalasa and rephrased what she was going to say. "...tired as anything right now."

"Kiyra's training with another group of picks to be the best in the whole Rogue. They're called the Goats." Julie informed Lalasa.

"A gang?" Lalasa said disapprovingly. "Kiyra…"

"It's alright. They're all much younger than I am." Kiyra reassured Lalasa.

"Kiyra leads it." Julie said proudly.

"Kiyra, I've known you since before you became a thief and I know that you can take care of yourself. Still, be careful. I don't want you to get caught. Neither I or you know what the dungeons are like."

Kiyra caught Julie's eyes and quickly agreed with Lalasa. "You're right, I don't. I'll be more careful in the future, I promise." Lalasa looked at the two girls suspiciously. Kiyra hastily continued speaking. "When should we come back for lessons?"

"Tonight would be wonderful. My husband went to Port Caynn to look at the foreign woods for his carpenter shop. I'd be glad for the company."

Kiyra felt a pain of guilt for not visiting Lalasa more. She hadn't even known about Master Tarren being away. Kiyra promised herself that she would visit more often. "I'll wait outside."

Before they could protest, Kiyra slid away and out of the shop's front door. Sitting on the front steps, Kiyra tried to be aware of her surroundings. She was exhausted though and fell into a deep sleep within minutes.

A subconscious awareness woke Kiyra. Opening her eyes slightly, Kiyra could make out a familiar shape on the steps beside her. "Hey, Geoff."

"Don't you know it's not safe to fall asleep on the street at night?" He asked, bemused. Kiyra leaned up against him.

"I knew you'd be along." Kiyra joked as Geoff snaked an arm around her shoulders. "Geoff, what's that mission you've got for us?"

"I can't tell you yet." Geoff smiled down at her. "You'll just go tell the other Goats and I can't have that."

"Please?" Kiyra begged.

"Aren't you too old to be begging like this?" Geoff teased.

"I'll be fifteen next month. I'll stop then." Kiyra promised.

Geoff stood and slowly pulled Kiyra up. Kiyra was about to ask what he was doing when Geoff kissed her. He'd kissed her a couple times before, but this one was different.

Geoff placed a hand under her chin and lifted her face to his. His lips pressed against hers and Kiyra linked her hands around his neck. Geoff's hands came down to her waist and pulled her body towards her. Kiyra was very aware that her body was firmly pressed against Geoff's. His hands started moving in circular motions on her back, as his tongue ran lightly over her lips. Unsure, Kiyra parted her lips and Geoff's tongue was in her mouth. Kiyra was in rapture and was disappointed when Geoff pulled away. Both panted; they had been lip-locked for more than a minute.

"Kiyra, is this someone to whom I need to be introduced?" Kiyra quickly stepped away from Geoff and turned to Lalasa.

"Um…this is Geoff." Kiyra said. "Geoff, this is Mistress Lalasa Tarren. She's been my friend for ages."

"You're the new King of the Rogue." Lalasa's eyes gave nothing away.

"At your service." Geoff bowed slightly.

"We just finished." Julie said. "Can't I leave you alone for an hour without you trying something?"

"Nope." Kiyra said cheerily. "Thanks, Lalasa, for teaching her. It's real kind."

"It's no problem." Lalasa said. "I need to talk to you, Kiyra." She disappeared back into the darkened shop. Kiyra shrugged and followed her.

"Is something wrong?" Kiyra asked nervously. There must be, if Lalasa didn't want to say it in front of Geoff or Julie.

"Has anyone ever given you the talk?" Lalasa finally questioned.

"The what?" Kiyra scrunched up her nose.

"I know that you know where babies come from and how exactly they're made." Kiyra confirmed Lalasa's statement by nodding. Kiyra, Cart, Julie, and Geoff knew all the details. Three years ago, they had snuck underneath a bed in the Dove. Needless to say, they learned more than was prudent.

"Well," Lalasa continued. "You might have gotten carried away with Geoff, if I hadn't interrupted you."

"Surely not on the front porch!" Kiyra joked.

"No, but you know what I'm getting at. Julie's with child, she needs your support. You getting pregnant would complicate things for everyone, most of all yourself." Lalasa lectured. "Anyway, making love complicates things in any relationship. If you and Geoff decide to end things, you'll feel as if you've given a part of yourself away that you'll never have back."

Kiyra stared at Lalasa in shock. She hadn't guessed that Lalasa would have a hidden source of priceless knowledge stored away on this particular topic.

"I never thought about it that way before." Kiyra allotted. "I'll think about it."

"I just want you to be careful. I don't want to see you hurt." Lalasa hugged Kiyra. "What kind of man is this Geoff anyway?"

Kiyra giggled. "He's nice. I've known his for years." Kiyra ran a finger over her lips and smiled dreamily. "He kisses good, too."

Lalasa shook her head, but grinned. She walked over to the counter, and drew a small box off of a shelf. Opening it, she pulled out a small chain with a charm on the end.

"What's that?" Kiyra asked.

"It's a pregnancy charm. It'll keep you from getting pregnant, if you chose to engage in certain activities." Lalasa explained.

"Thank you." Kiyra inspected the charm and slipped it on. "If no one steals it, it might actually be put to use.


	4. Nobles November 463

**I'm sorry this took me so long to get out, but I was reading Les Miserables and couldn't put it down. I have spring vacation next week and will update then.**

**CHAPTER FOUR – November - Nobles**

The eleven Goats lined up outside Geoff's room as they had last month. Instead of their usual clothes, they were wearing uniforms. They were all also perfectly clean, being freshly bathed and groomed. Geoff had given the clothes to the Goats for that night's mission, although as of yet, no one knew what it was.

Their uniforms were in the commoners' style and fabric, but nice and new. The girls and boys alike wore deep blue breeches that required no belt and yet were full at the leg. They wore soft cream shirts with long sleeves and high collars. Silk cream stockings were held up by deerskin ties that were hidden by their breeches. Each Goat wore polished boots that reached up to mid-thigh. Each child's uniform had been in individually wrapped packages with their names written on it, indicating that the clothes were specially ordered. They certainly fit each Goat perfectly.

Geoff opened the door before Kiyra even had a chance to knock. He walked out of his room, holding three parcels. He was dressed as a noble, with white silk shirt, scarlet tunic, and spotless hose. His boots came up higher than the Goats, up to his knee. Geoff also had a sword disguised to look as a dress sword.

"Each of you will get one of these." Geoff handed a parcel to Tyrell. Fumbling with the ties, Tyrell brought out a necklace and passed the package on to Finn. Once every pick had brought out one, they put them on. The chain was gold with a loop holding a small, artfully crafted goat figurine on it.

Geoff opened the second parcel. In it were eleven scabbards about a foot long each. They were handed out slightly faster than the necklaces had been. The dirks had inlaid gold wire on the hilt and were shiny silver steel. There was a sharp edge on both sides of the blade that tapered off to a sharp point. On the pommel of the hilt was an engraved goat with each picks' initials on it. For those who didn't have a last name, or wouldn't have liked it being put on in Kiyra's case, a G stood. The sheath was plain black with gold braid around the top. The sheath was hooked to a loose, thin leather belt with a small silver buckle.

"All of you have worked hard to earn these." Geoff praised. "You deserve every bit it cost me." That was all he could say, because eleven bodies were hugging him and stammering thanks. Shoving them away gently, Geoff opened the last package with a smirk.

He drew out an elegant, green gown with silver trim and a low neckline. The sleeves were virtually nonexistent and the gown brushed the floor. It also looked suspiciously like it would fit Kiyra.

"No." Her voice croaked. "That's too pretty for the likes of me. Actually, I just hate it. Oh, please Geoff, no."

Geoff smiled at her bemused. "Relax. No one will see you in it. Put it on over your other clothes." Kiyra held it in her hands, unsure of how to get in it.

Both Geoff and Merci had to help her, as the other Goats slipped into their dirk belts. Kiyra had to take off her shirt and dirk and give them to Tyrell for safekeeping. Geoff also handed her a pair of white lady's gloves.

Once the humiliated Kiyra was in the gown, Geoff finally instructed them in their mission. "We'll all be taking a trip to Court. In other words, Kiyra and I will be presented tonight and we will sneak all of you in. Then, you will charm the nobles for the whole night. Kiyra will tell you how to do that. Don't worry, it's all for a good cause. Follow me." Geoff thumped down the staircase.

"Could he be any more vexing?" Kiyra asked the Goats, who all shook their heads. Tyrell and Merci had to help her down the staircase. Outside the Dove, a coach waited for them. The coachmen watched in something between surprise and disgust as twelve people piled into the small vehicle.

Once inside, Geoff further explained what they had to do. "I am going to ask the King and his council for funds. We are trying to improve the lower city. I want to build houses, schools, and infirmaries for the homeless and impoverished. Of course, nobles wouldn't give a thing unless they think we're deserving of it. I need the Goats to show them that our children are worth something."

"So, in other words, you want us to charm the nobles to get you your funds?" Kiyra tried to make some sense out of what Geoff was telling them.

"Exactly. If any of you steal from anyone, I'll skin you bit by bit. Be polite and use the manners that Myles taught you. Don't get into any trouble, especially not you, Kiyra."

"Aw, he's worried about me." Kiyra told the Goats.

"No, I just know that she's more likely to find trouble than all of you put together." Geoff corrected as Kiyra made a face and the Goats laughed.

"Alright, you will walk behind me and Kiyra. Keep close, but not as close as someone will feel you. You have to trust me on this: no one will see you." Geoff took a deep breath. "I know that I'm no mage, but you have to believe me. If you make no sound and if you touch no one other than a fellow Goat, you'll be unseen."

"Why can't I be unseen, instead of in a dress?" Kiyra complained.

"I need a cover story. You and I are a married couple visiting from Tusaine. Don't hit me! It's the best possible thing. A man traveling alone is likely up to trouble."

The coach came to a smooth stop. Geoff looked to the Goats and placed a finger over his lips in a shushing gesture. They all nodded. The coach door opened and Geoff leaped out. Kiyra nudged the Goats into motion and they leaped out of the coach also. The coachmen seemed not to notice the "invisible" Goats, but Kiyra could see them perfectly. After all the picks had left, Geoff extended his hand to Kiyra and helped her out.

Kiyra looked around the courtyard. Paper lanterns hung from thin cords that led to an entrance way. Geoff offered his arm to Kiyra and she took it delicately. She tried to make her steps light and quick as Myles had taught her. Kiyra didn't pay attention to where they were going, but watched the Goats out of the corner of her eye. She was relieved, not surprised, that the older picks had the younger ones under their wings.

Kiyra was amazed by the finery of the palace. Vases, statues, and paintings adorned every hallway and woven carpets every floor. While she knew that any one of them could have fed a family for a year, Kiyra knew that nobles were nobles and that was that.

They came to a large room where the nobles waited to be announced. Geoff gave his and Kiyra's false names to the servant. The Goats had to sit under tables pressed against the wall to avoid being brushed up against. Kiyra and Geoff waited until it was their turn to be announced. A servant led them through another small corridor where just Geoff, Kiyra, and the invisible Goats waited.

Geoff turned to Kiyra. "It's time. Tyrell, bring her shirt and dirk." Tyrell handed Kiyra the shirt and Kiyra slipped off her gown. She pulled her shirt on as fast as she could, not wanting to be seen without clothes. Merci helped her buckle on her dirk while Geoff bunched up the gown and hid it under a small table that had a cloth hanging.

When the servant came to check that everything was ready, Geoff handed him a slip of paper. "Give this to the one who does the announcing. Have him announce it instead of the other one." The servant looked unconcerned as he left.

From beyond a door in the corner, Kiyra could hear the announcer. "Let's introduce Geoffrey, King of the Rogue and the Rogue's Goats."

"Will we be seen now?" Emma asked nervously.

"Yes, but don't worry. Not every commoner girl gets presented to court." Geoff reassured her. "Look lively, Goats."

Geoff was first down the grand staircase. He stood tall and proud, Kiyra on his right side but slightly behind him. The Goats filed in behind the pair. All twelve of them were perfectly in step with each other. Instead of walking slowly as the nobles did, they trotted quickly. The nobles' reaction to them could only be described as a stunned silence.

Geoff bowed to the monarchs, and after he had done so, the Goats followed in perfect unity. King Jonathon and Queen Thayet also looked startled, but recovered themselves quickly.

"Welcome, cousin." King Jonathon said, using the term that a ruler used to another.

Geoff bowed again and walked into the crowd. The Goats quickly dipped and followed their leader. The nobles shied away from them as if they were distasteful, but the picks kept polite, distant faces on.

"We washed before we came." Kiyra mumbled to Geoff, eyes dancing with mischief. Geoff grinned.

"I'm going to talk to the Baron George." Geoff said. "Myles said that I should." Kiyra nodded and turned around to the Goats.

"Alright, I want you to stick in pairs. If you dance, do it the way that Myles taught us, not the commoners' way. Yes, Rye, I know that our way is more fun, but they won't like it. I want Wren and Dann to stick with me. Go on, get on to charming." The Goats dispersed.

Kiyra really wanted to go back to the Dove where she didn't feel so inferior, but she forced herself to obey her own orders. "C'mon, kids. We'll try our luck over there." Kiyra tried to show confidence as she walked toward a group of nobles. They all looked hostile and unfriendly to her, until she spotted Sir Myles.

"Hello, Kiyra. I can say that I was surprised to see all of you here."

"Well, I'm glad that I'm not the only one." Kiyra laughed. "Look what Geoff bought all of us." Kiyra pulled out her dirk and showed him. "They were gifts for putting up with your lessons for a month."

Myles chuckled. "Oh, here's someone I want you to meet. Kiyra, meet my daughter, Lady Alanna." A short, redheaded woman with violet eyes stopped talking to a burly guardsman and walked over to Myles.

"So you're the one that leads the Goats?" Alanna asked Kiyra.

"Yes, my lady." Kiyra bowed. "These are the two youngest members, Wren and Dann." The picks bowed deeply.

"You're the Lioness?" Wren asked excitedly.

"Yes. Am I shorter than you expected?" Alanna's voice was wry.

"You look tall to me." Dann said. Kiyra, Myles, and Alanna laughed. Alanna was taller than him, but the same size as Kiyra.

"Did you really kill Duke Roger and fight monsters and steal the Jewel and not get in trouble for it?" Wren questioned.

"That was me." Alanna smiled at the young girl. "Who told you about all that?"

"Kiyra told us that. She got in trouble from stealing from Baron George. Kiyra said that it wasn't fair, since you didn't get in trouble for stealing a jewel and she only stole a rock." Wren blurted as Kiyra winced.

Dann continued where Wren had left off. "Kiyra told us that you are a hero and she wanted to be like you. She said that…" Kiyra stepped up behind the pair and covered both their mouths with her hands.

"Don't you love how children make up stories?" Kiyra asked the two laughing adults.

"Would you care to dance?" A bold squire bowed to Kiyra as Wren and Dann giggled. Kiyra looked to Myles for help, but he just looked at her expectantly.

Kiyra curtsied politely in her baggy breeches and smiled up at him. "Of course." Kiyra prayed to all the gods that she knew that she wouldn't make a fool of herself.

The dance was one that Myles had taught her and weapons training had made Kiyra light on her feet. Although Kiyra found even the fastest noble dances slow, she enjoyed it.

After two dances with other squires, Kiyra found herself dancing with Geoff. She smiled up at him. "What did you talk to the Baron George about?"

"Nothing important." Kiyra knew that he was lying, because he automatically assumed his careless attitude.

"Oh, alright, you don't have to tell me." Kiyra grinned cheekily at him. She stopped immediately and ignored Geoff's questions of what was wrong. Something gave her a feeling that one of her Goats was in trouble. Scanning the crowd frantically, Kiyra found the trouble spot almost immediately.

Emma was shrinking away from a shouting nobleman who held a jeweled pendant in his hands. Toady was restrained by another nobleman. Kiyra pushed past Geoff and strode over to them. When she reached Emma, Kiyra rested her hands on the girl's shoulders to reassure her.

"Release him." Kiyra glared levelly up at the taller nobleman who held Toady. Flushing, the noble let Toady go. The boy flew behind Kiyra, arms folded in defiance. The affront was drawing quite a crowd that included the monarchs.

"That girl stole this pendant from me!" The tall noble accused.

"I didn't, Kiyra, please believe me!" Emma sobbed.

"The chain broke and I put it into my pocket." The nobleman hissed. "Next thing I knew, it was in her hands!"

"She didn't either!" Toady yelled. "He's lying!"

The nobleman called a group of soldier's over. "Arrest this thief!"

"You'll have to come through me first!" Kiyra pushed Emma behind her and drew her dirk, shaking her head when Toady reached for his. She didn't want him to get in trouble. She was in enough already, drawing a sword on soldiers and noblemen.

All her efforts to keep the other Goats went in vain when the other eight picks came up behind Kiyra with their dirks out. Toady smirked at Kiyra and drew his. Emma just huddled behind Kiyra.

"Enough!" King Jonathon ordered. His voice was only raised slightly, but it made everyone freeze. "Please, put your weapons away." The Goats reluctantly complied, Kiyra a little slower than the others. "Now, will someone please explain to me what's going on?"

Geoff came up next to Kiyra, silently giving her his support.

"This common thief stole this pendant!" The nobleman snapped, pointing at Emma with a finger that shook.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" King Jonathon kindly asked the girl.

Emma came out from behind Kiyra. "I didn't, I swear. He just asked me to hold it while he got some drinks. I did and he started to yell at me."

"It's true." Toady insisted. The nobleman glared at him and Toady gave him a rude gesture which consisted of sticking up only his middle finger. Kiyra smirked, but knocked his hand away.

"The children are telling the truth." Master Numair said. Black magic sparkled around his hands. "Duke Rotre is lying."

"I don't want to see either of you again tonight." King Jonathon told the duke and his friend. Then, he turned to the Goats. "I apologize for his behavior. He did not act like a gentleman."

Kiyra's grip on her dirk's hilt shook, although her dirk was sheathed. Her knuckles were white with rage. When someone threatened her friends, they were in for it. "Both you, I, and Mithros know that he's no gentleman." She snapped.

"If you'll excuse us, your Majesty, I think we'll go outside for some fresh air." Geoff smiled amiably. He kept a firm grip on Kiyra's shoulder and led her outside to a balcony. The Goats followed, watching the nobles mistrustfully.

Once outside, Geoff set Kiyra down on a stone bench. "Kiyra, I thought I told you to keep out of trouble!"

"It was my fault, really." Emma said, fiddling with her braids. "I should have known that something was up." Rye put an arm around his twin's shoulders in a sort of half hug.

"No, it's not your fault!" Kiyra shouted. "It's that flea-bitten, rotted, scabbed…" Sensing that her language was going to become even uglier, Geoff covered her mouth.

"It's alright. C'mon, Goats, it should take a little more than that to get you down." Geoff insisted.

"Enoroflla." Tyrell ran a hand through his black hair. "All of us together can do things that one of us can't. Emma alone, back there, would have been chopped noble feed if we all hadn't helped."

"Is that what 'all for one' means?" Dann asked. "That we all help each other out?"

"Exactly." Kiyra said. "And it also means that whoever messes with us, we kick their butts."

"Only when we can get away with it." Geoff laughed. "And we wouldn't get away with it here."

"It's okay." Emma told Kiyra. "No one got hurt."

"He scared you." Kiyra growled.

"Nothing that a Goat can't take." Emma reassured her.

"C'mon, the nobles are probably thinkin' that we're plannin' revenge." Cole sniggered.

The Goats got up and went back inside to the crowded and somewhat hushed ballroom. Rye almost immediately asked the younger girl Wren to dance. Although both were too young to think about love, Kiyra thought it was cute. Apparently, some of the nobles did too, which was why Rye had asked Wren.

Kiyra would have gotten some wine, but Geoff gave her a look that clearly told her no. Scowling, Kiyra headed back to where Myles had returned to.

"That was brave," Myles told her. "Standing up to a nobleman like that. It's something stupid that Alanna would do." Alanna blushed and tried her best to look indignant.

"Haven't wasted any time getting in trouble, have you?" George lounged on a bench next to his wife.

"It was for her friends." Alanna argued. "She was getting them out of trouble."

"Then, again, she did draw a sword on noblemen and soldiers." George reasoned. "And yell at those lads in front of everyone. They won't like that. You'd best expect some form of revenge."

"The worst they could do is puff some of their perfume at me." Kiyra laughed it off, but she made sure to remember to keep an eye out.

"Noblemen are powerful." Alanna insisted. "George is right, you need to be careful."

"I've got eyes in the back of my head." Kiyra bragged. She jumped when someone poked her in the ribs. Whirling, Kiyra grinned wryly when she saw that it was Geoff.

"Can you use that dirk of yours?" Alanna's eyes were calculating.

"No, lass, I can't let you butcher her." George said kindly.

"She couldn't butcher me." Kiyra's voice was filled with false confidence.

"There's a practice court," Alanna said eagerly, "I'm just ready for a new opponent."

"You won't be so ready once I best you." Kiyra fingered the hilt of her dirk and tried to calculate what it would take to beat the Lioness.

"No," Geoff spoke slowly. "George is right. The Lioness will chop you into pieces because _you_ are too proud to give up."

"And who will mourn my passing?" Kiyra said dramatically.

"I will." said Geoff. "That's before I travel to the Realms of the Dead, bring you back, and kill you." Kiyra made a face as the Lioness and the Baron laughed.

"I won't hurt her." Alanna protested.

"Please?" Kiyra begged Geoff. Sighing, Geoff gave a virtually imperceptible nod that might have been just a slight twitch. Kiyra grabbed it and ran.

"Good then!" Kiyra turned her back on Geoff and faced Alanna. "I'm ready if you are. Let's go before the menfolk worry their britches off."

"There's a practice court this way." Alanna said.

"I think that I'll use the opportunity to speak to their Majesties." Geoff said.

"Mind if I come along?" George asked and he went along with Geoff.

"All that worrying and then they don't even watch us." Alanna shook her head.

The practice court was somewhat of a walk from the ballroom. Alanna told Kiyra that it was one of the pages' courts and they were in their rooms. The two women would not be disturbed. Alanna placed a protection spell on the blades so that they were magically dulled.

Kiyra unsheathed her dirk to meet Alanna's sword. Alanna's probe was slow, and Kiyra blocked every strike easily. Instead of blocking the Lioness' next strike, Kiyra ducked it and swung at Alanna's legs. Alanna hurriedly stepped back and chopped down at Kiyra's head. Kiyra rolled away and leapt up to her feet. This placed her directly behind the Lioness, who was beginning to turn. Kiyra ducked the sword and found it at her neck.

The next six matches went no better. Alanna won every match hands down. Kiyra did find ways to observe Alanna and pick up a couple new tricks. She did know that while her vain self thought her the best pick in Corus, she placed last on the list of swordswomen.

Geoff had to come get Kiyra, who was still shaking off her sweat for yet another round. Kiyra was exhausted and hardly paid attention to how she got home.

* * *

It was the next week when Kiyra's sparring was put to good use. She was walking along at night again. Geoff and Cart wouldn't let her or Julie out alone after dark, but what they didn't know couldn't hurt. 

Years of thieving and sneaking had taught Kiyra to be observant. She noticed the five men who followed her from the pub where she had spent the evening. She also noticed the gleam of their swords. Kiyra didn't start panicking until her escape route was cut off and she was cornered in an alley. Cursing her stupidity, Kiyra prepared herself for a fight.

The men advanced with leering faces that Kiyra got bad feelings from. They elbowed each other and looked at her with sneers. She knew what they were thinking of and she didn't like it.

Kiyra yanked out her dirk with a hand that trembled. So this was how it would end for her. She would be raped and killed. Kiyra could hear the noisy taverns and fast paced music in the background. She watched them coming towards her without registering the fact. She remembered how just yesterday she had joked with Toady and Rye about death and how she would be the one to die bravely.

That snapped Kiyra out of her shock. Slashing angrily, she cut a man's throat. Blood spurted and flew into her face. Kiyra vomited even as she thrust a sword into a second man's heart. She felt a blaze of pain on her right arm and her hand involuntarily dropped her dirk. She numbly watched a sword being brought up and down.

Although it was past time, Kiyra remembered her lessons with the Shang Rat. With her good left arm, she grabbed at the hilt of the man's sword as she brought her knee up into his crotch. Kiyra's hand slipped on the hilt and she cut her palm on the sharp sword, but the weapon's path was interrupted.

Kiyra felt an arm around her neck that tightened its hold and cut off her air. Kicking and gasping for air, Kiyra's vision glazed and flared in bursts of light. Suddenly she heard the most blessed thing that she ever had heard.

"Enoroflla!" Tyrell screamed as he jumped on one of the three remaining assassins, dirk in hand. Lars buried his dirk in the back of the man who advanced on Tyrell. Finn chopped at the shoulder of the man who had his arm wrapped around Kiyra's neck. When the man let go, Finn promptly stabbed at the older man's chest.

Kiyra knelt on the ground, gulping in the sweet, clean air. Between gasps of air, she satisfied her curiosity. "How…did you…know?"

"We just knew." Lars looked queasily at the man he had killed. "We knew where to come too."

"You're hurt!" Finn's dark face showed alarm.

"I'm fine." Kiyra murmured as Rye, Cole, and Emma flew around the corner.

"Kiyra!" Emma shouted and then burst into tears.

"I'm getting Geoff!" Cole ran back the way he had come.

Rye looked appreciatively at the dead men. "How many did you account for?" He asked Kiyra, earning a slap from Emma.

Merci, Toady, Wren, and Dann arrived then, requiring more explanations. At least they could supply one.

"It was the goat!" Dann held up the goat necklace that each of them wore. "It _burned_!"

Tyrell ripped off one of the dead man's tunic and pressed it to Kiyra's right arm. Kiyra felt shooting pain and passed out as soon as Geoff arrived.

The last thing she thought of was, 'It was the nobleman, curse his mangy hide.'

**REVIEW OR I"LL KILL GEOFF IN MOST GRUESOME WAYS!**


	5. Pages January 463

**CHAPTER FIVE 464 – January - Pages **

Kiyra woke up and stretched, running her fingers over the light scar on her right arm. It ran down her shoulder to just below her elbow. The deep cut on her left palm had been fixed by the healer that very night and only left a faint scar. The slice on her right arm was more serious. The healer could only cleanse it, stop the bleeding, and prescribe a balm. It had been two months since, but Kiyra could still bring back memories of the stiff pain.

Geoff had confirmed little Dann's observations about the goat necklace. He had hired a mage to magic the necklaces. The goats could tell if one of the Goats was in trouble, and bring the wearer to the spot. They could be very useful, as Kiyra's incident had proved.

Geoff had looked into the matter of the assassins that had been sent. Using sources that Kiyra could only guess on where he had found them, Geoff had figured out who they had come from. Like Kiyra had thought, the nobleman whom she had shamed had tried to kill her. Geoff wouldn't tell her what he did, but evidently, he scared the man in such a way that he would never send an assassin after anyone again.

The Goats were doing much better at their lessons. Geoff had made them start academic lessons. Most of them were learning to read; the others already knew. Along with reading, they were learning mathematics, riding, history, and immortal learning. Tyrell, the only magic one among the Goats, was being taught by a mage that studied at the university. He was one of Geoff's friends. The Shang Rat was pleased with their ability to fight much better now. He was starting them on archery, dirk and staff techniques and they practiced unarmed fighting for three hours a day now. The Rat had also begun teaching them complex acrobatics. Some, like Kiyra, already knew simple acrobatics. Cart also was to help teach them, as he was a proficient acrobatic.

Geoff had confided to Kiyra that the council of nobles that the king talked with would be voting on the Lower City Fund that very day. The Goats were needed again to instill pity and generosity into the hearts of the nobles.

Kiyra threw back her covers and slipped out of the large shirt that she wore when she slept. Instead of pulling on her one everyday pair of clothes, Kiyra pulled on her Goat clothes and boots. Once dressed, Kiyra gazed around the room that Geoff had given to the Goats.

It was small, barely more than a closet, but it was their own. Geoff, Cart, and Kiyra had spent a whole afternoon constructing a sort of bunk bed. It was four narrow beds stacked on top of each other. They were cramped and you couldn't sit up in them but they were strong and sturdy. The three friends had made three of these beds and nailed them to three of the four walls. Any other fixings were up to the Goats.

Emma and Wren had found string and old cloth. They managed to make a sort of curtain around each bed so that the Goats might have some privacy. Tyrell, Lars, and Cole had scrounged the streets and warehouses for empty crates that they had made into shelves. One such shelf was over each bed, near the sleeper's head. Toady and Dann had bought blankets from secondhand stores using stolen coins. They put them on the straw mattresses that Julie, Kiyra, and Merci had sewn and stuffed. Finn, Rye, Lars and Cole had found a bit of wood and the remnants of a paint bucket. They painted a sign to go outside of the door that said GOATS on it. Cole, who was somewhat of an artist, painted a realistic goat on it. All in all, it was home.

Breaking through her thoughts, Kiyra remembered her duty. "Wake up! Goats don't sleep late, not when we have a mission anyway." She ducked a pillow that Lars hurled at her and yanked him out of his third-level bunk. "C'mon, put your clothes on. Uniforms today."

"Can't we have just a bit more?" Emma pleaded, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Nope." Kiyra reached over and picked the younger girl up. Setting her down carefully, Kiyra helped her slide out of her nightdress. Hearing a scuffle behind her, Kiyra turned fiercely.

"Cole, Finn! Stop it!" Kiyra cuffed them both. "Get dressed! I want all of you out of here by the time five minutes is up! Remember, uniforms today. We have another mission."

"Another noble mission, like the last one." Lars scoffed. "They're boring."

"I thought we'd be doing more exciting stuff." Toady complained. "I love being a Goat, but I want to be useful."

"Geoff just wants us do charm the nobles." Kiyra sighed. "I'll see if I can dredge up some better things to do."

Kiyra left the Goats' room, what they affectionately called the Hovel, and walked to the common room. Picking up a bowl of porridge that Randy had set for her, Kiyra was almost done by the time that the other Goats got down.

"One…five…six…nine…ten!" Kiyra counted them. All were in their blue full breeches, cream high collared shirts, silk stockings, and mid-thigh boots. They wore their dirks about their waists and they never took their Goat necklaces off. Grabbing porridge, they ate it faster than Kiyra had.

"Sa, wott rewa todoo?" Cole dripped porridge from his open mouth. Swallowing, he tried again. "So, what are we to do?"

"We all know how much Geoff wants those funds for the schools and hospitals. The nobles are voting on it today and we are there to convince them that commoners deserve it."

"That's boring." Wren moaned.

"We already did that, at the ball." Rye commented.

"Can't we do something fun?" Cole pleaded.

"I want to fight!" Toady mimicked sword-play. "That's fun!"

"How 'bout we do some exploring?" Kiyra asked. "There are secret passages in the palace. I think that Geoff knows some of them. I bet that we could find some."

"Stefan, the hostler, showed me some." Tyrell said. "Whenever I wanted to watch the pages, he snuck me in. I know what to look for to find them."

"Good!" Kiyra nodded, satisfied with her plan.

Geoff clattered down the stairs that led to his room and the Goats fell silent. He was dressed in his noble clothes and his cloak under his arm. "Why do I get the impression that you all are hiding something from me?" He asked suspiciously.

"Have you eaten?" Kiyra tried to change the subject.

"Yes, and no, you didn't succeed." Geoff smiled wryly. "I'm not stupid. Because we haven't go time to waste, let's get down to the palace."

The Goats walked to the palace, frolicking in the chilly air. Weaker children might have needed cloaks, but picks and street kids were used to the cold air. As long as they kept moving, the Goats were fine. Geoff just had his cloak for appearance's sake. Halfway to the palace, the group met up with Cart and Julie. Julie was in her fourth month of pregnancy and beginning to show. Julie hadn't wanted to come at first, seeing as she was only fourteen. She didn't want the nobles to look down at her, but Cart convinced her.

Cart was an excellent acrobat and turned flips in the streets, until Julie begged him to stop, that he was making her dizzy. Cart was wearing commoners' clothes, but they were nice and new. Julie was wearing a comfortable dress that she still looked beautiful in. Julie was the prettiest girl that Kiyra had ever seen, with her long brown hair and hazel eyes.

Kiyra stopped fooling around for a minute to talk to her friend. "Julie, how have you been?"

Julie knew what she meant. "It's hard. Morning sickness does not just apply to mornings. I'm tired a lot. Lalasa has helped. How come you never told us about her? I've known you for at least four years and never once have you mentioned her."

Kiyra shrugged. "No need."

Julie spoke slowly, knowing that she was treading on thin ice. "What about your family? Do you even have one? Dillus said that you sent all your money to them."

Kiyra almost turned around and didn't answer. Instead, she mumbled an answer. "They weren't much of one."

"It's okay." Dann put his hand in Kiyra's. "We're your family now." Kiyra hugged him.

"Kiyra, hurry up!" Geoff shouted to her. Him, Cart, and the other Goats were far ahead of Julie, Kiyra, and Dann. Kiyra picked up Dann and started to run. When Julie followed, Kiyra stopped.

"Should you be running?" Kiyra asked worriedly.

"You and Cart both!" Julie laughed. "I'm fine."

Soon, they came to a small palace gate. Geoff rapped sharply on the wooden door. "Haloo, open up!"

"Who goes there?" A voice came from atop the ramparts.

"We have an appointment with his Majesty." Geoff answered. Kiyra looked at him, wondering if they really did.

"Who are you?" The voice asked.

"His Majesty Geoffrey and some select members of his court." Kiyra rolled her eyes at Geoff's choice of words.

Surprisingly enough, the gate opened and the Goats poured in. Ignoring the questioning glances of the guards, Geoff addressed the group. "Goats, look lively. Remember, we need the funds."

"Yes, sir!" The Goats saluted Geoff in unison.

"I'm not sure I want to do this." Julie softly said to Kiyra and Cart.

"Why ever not?" Kiyra asked in surprise.

"Because I'm with child and I've no husband."

"That's no reason not to look down on you." Cart insisted, green eyes soft.

"Yes, it is!" Julie argued.

Kiyra left them, knowing that in the end, Cart would talk Julie around.

Entering the palace during the morning hours was an experience. The nobles stared at the Goats and whispered behind their hands. Geoff was in front, leading the others towards some unknown destination, probably some council room. Some children, which Kiyra took to be pages, looked at them with something akin to hostility. One older page made a rude gesture at the Goats. Kiyra and the Goats retaliated by each of them making an even ruder one. Geoff looked at them despairingly.

Once they came to the council room, the nobles that belonged to the Council were already grouping outside of it. The nobles stopped speaking when they saw the commoners. Geoff stepped forward and bowed slightly to them. The Goats and Cart followed his example and Julie curtsied.

The Goats mingled with the council members for about an hour or so before the meeting was to be held. Geoff was to speak there, but the Goats didn't have to be there. Cart and Julie were going to sit in though. Geoff gave the Goats strict instructions to go straight home. Something told Kiyra that he knew that they weren't going to obey.

As soon as the Goats were out of hearing distance, they began exploring.

"Tyrell, can you bring us to that passageway? The one Stefan showed you?" Kiyra questioned.

"Sure I can. It's right this way." Tyrell ducked into a doorway that led to a courtyard and left through a door that entered into a stable. "Hey, Stefan!"

A man dropped from a loft, sending the other Goats into defensive stances that they eased out of quickly.

"Goats, this is Stefan. Stefan, these are my friends and my gang." Tyrell introduced them.

Stefan bowed. "It's nice to meet the ones that the young 'un talks of so much."

"Tyrell told of us of how friendly you'd been." Kiyra bowed even deeper than Stefan had. "Thank you." Stefan nodded.

"We wanted to explore." Tyrell said eagerly. "Would you mind if we used the passages?"

"They aren't mine." Stefan said. "If you want a new one, check under King Jasson's tapestry in the south corridor." The hostler grinned.

The Goats thanked Stefan and followed Tyrell into an empty stall. Tyrell shoved aside the straw and removed a couple loose boards. A hole about a foot deep was under it with a trapdoor at the very bottom. Tyrell planted his feet at either end of the hole and pulled at the iron ring atop it. The trapdoor lifted and Tyrell slid down into the dark hole.

"It's alright!" He shouted up. "It's not very deep."

Kiyra dropped down and fell in a crouch. Tyrell was alright, it was hardly deep at all. If Kiyra stood, which she did, she could reach the edge of the hole with an outstretched hand.

"Dann! Grab my hand and I'll help you." Dann nervously gripped Kiyra's hand and leaped. Kiyra half-caught him and did the same for Wren. Toady insisted on doing it on his own and the other six followed in quick succession. Once all the Goats were down, Stefan replaced the trapdoor and floor boards.

Tyrell proudly made some light in the palm of his hand using his Gift. The passageway was tall enough that Kiyra could stand easily. A particularly tall man might have a bit of trouble, but Kiyra wasn't tall or short. The passage was wide, enough that Kiyra could reach her arms out fully. The passage way was not straight, but curved back and forth. The walls and ceiling were reinforced with boards, but the floor was hard packed dirt. The Goats half-ran, trusting Tyrell to tell them if there were any obstacles, because he was in front and he had been here before.

In less than three minutes, Tyrell stopped when the tunnel widened into a little room. "This is going to let us out near the pages' stable. We have easy access to the training areas."

"Where does that lead?" Kiyra asked, looking down the rest of the passage.

"It can bring you to the libraries or the pages' and squires' wings." Tyrell informed her.

Lars came into the light. "We'll be seen there. Why don't we go bother the pages?"

"We can spy on them!" Dann whispered. "Oh, good!"

"We have to be careful of Lord haMinch." Tyrell warned. "He's their training master and he looks mean."

Tyrell dragged a tall box out of the shadows. Standing on it, he pulled a latch on the ceiling. It opened and a rope ladder fell out. Tyrell gripped it firmly and climbed up expertly. Once she was up, Kiyra could see that they were in another stable. They were in a tack room. All the stalls that the Goats could see were full. Kiyra replaced the boards on the floor.

"This way." Tyrell motioned. "Pages practice staff work about this time."

"Maybe we can pick up some tricks." Kiyra mused as they left the barn at a crawl.

"There they are!" Emma pointed to a far end of a field. The Goats could pick up figures with staffs.

"C'mon, let's see how close we can get to them without them blindies seein'." Cole grinned.

The Goats slithered through the tall grass on their bellies like snakes. They were far enough apart that it would be hard to spot more than two at once, let alone notice one. They stopped when they were about fifty feet away. In the end, it was Lars that gave them away.

The two pages closest to them were sparring with their staffs. The bigger boy was smug, you could see it in his movements. He thoroughly trounced the younger one, but then he started showing off by not watching the fight. The smaller boy swung his staff around and over and leveled the older boy.

Lars openly cheered loudly, before clamping a hand around his own mouth. The Goats flattened out and lay very still. Lars sheepishly sent an apologetic look to Kiyra, who just smiled back and mimed cheering.

The tall, dark brown haired man who was most likely the training master advanced upon the section of the field where the Goats hid. "Come on out. If you want to watch, do it openly."

Kiyra popped out not ten feet from where the man was. "I'm open." She flung her arms out to show just how wide open she was.

This man's sharp black eyes missed nothing. "You must be Kiyra, the leader of the Goats."

"That I be." Kiyra bowed with a flourish. "But by what name should I call your honorness?"

The man's mouth twitched. "I am Lord Padraig haMinch."

"Ah, so you train the pages?" Kiyra asked. She didn't even wait for an answer, as she knew the answer. "Mind if I watch a bit?"

The pages were still practicing, not even aware of Kiyra, being so intent on their spars. "Actually," haMinch said, "I was hoping that your Goats were nearby. I wanted to try a little experiment."

Kiyra paused for thematic effect. "Well, in that case…" Kiyra stuck her two pointer fingers in her mouth and emitted a piercing whistle that echoed across the whole field. The pages stopped fighting and the Goats popped up from the tall grass.

haMinch started with surprise, but quickly hid it. "Very good." he said with approval. "What can all of you do?"

Kiyra assumed he meant the weapons that the Goats could use. Before she could answer, the Goats answered.

"Shang." Tyrell spoke quietly.

"Dirks." Rye drew his and offered it to haMinch, who inspected it with an experienced eye. He nodded his approval and handed back to Rye, who took it with a bow.

"Staffs." Merci pointed at the ones that the pages held.

"Fists." Lars laughed. Cole tacked him to the ground and they scuffled for a moment before Lars rolled out on top. "Our birth-given talents of wrestlin'."

Kiyra ignored the two fools. "The Shang Rat has also been teaching us archery and acrobatics."

"Well," haMinch said slowly, "Could you spare me an hour of your time?"

Kiyra looked around at her Goats. "We had no previous engagements." Toady groaned, obviously wanting to explore, but Kiyra mouthed _later _at him. There would be time.

"Good." haMinch said. "Would you mind giving us a demonstration of your Shang?" The pages gathered around their teacher curiously.

"I wouldn't mind, but couldn't we contest against the pages?" Kiyra held her breath. She had wanted to see how their skills match against those royally trained.

haMinch nodded. "We both know the extent of our groups. Let's try to match them up according to skill. I have three times the number of fighters than you do, so if you don't mind, I'll pick the best of them all."

Tyrell beat the smug page who was a fourth year. Merci, Lars, and Finn, who were paired with other fourth-years, all lost their matches, but they put up a good fight. If they hadn't been almost four years younger than their opponents, they might have won. Cole lost his match against a third-year. Both Rye and Emma, the twins, won their matches against two other third years. Toady fought with the Bazhir second-year who had been staff fighting with the smug fourth-year. The page won, but Toady fought well. Wren, who was only seven, flipped an overconfident first-year on his back and six-year old Dann held his own with another first-year. Even after he got hit a number of times, he refused to give up. Finally, his stamina held out longer than the page's and Dann got a headlock on the older boy.

Kiyra was proud of her Goats. She ruffled their hair, clapped their backs, and in Emma's case, tugged their braids. Kiyra couldn't even help sending a complacent look over to where haMinch talked with his pages. _Ha! _She thought._ Some of my Goats beat pages four years older than them! _

haMinch approached Kiyra. "I want to congratulate you and your Goats. Do you know about the voting on the funds today? Well, the council is also voting on allowing commoners to become knights." Tyrell's head visibly lifted and hope was etched on every line of his face. haMinch noted that and continued. "I think I will hurry to the council and offer my opinion on the matter. The pages have indoor lessons now, but you are free to use any of the practice courts."

The Goats bowed and haMinch and the pages left.

"I told you all that we'd have time to explore." Kiyra said.

* * *

Many hours later, the Goats found only one passageway that actually proved interesting, unless you wanted to watch the washerwomen work or have access to all the latrine pipes. Stefan had actually given them the latrine pipe hint, which ended up with Lars hanging above a pit of muck. Luckily, Kiyra and Tyrell had yanked him back up before he fell. 

It was really by mistake that they had found the interesting passage. Kiyra doubted that anyone else knew about it. The Goats had all been in a passageway that was near the laundry, when Kiyra made them stop for a breather. The smaller ones were tired and even some of the older ones needed to catch their breath. Finn had been expecting a stone torch holder and he flipped a switch that his fingers found. To his dismay, Emma, who had leaned up against a section of the dusty wall, disappeared! Finn moved the switch back to its original position, and Emma moved back into view.

Upon further inspection, the Goats discovered how it had happened. The switch on the torch holder had caused the wall to turn halfway in a circle. A part of the floor was also connected to the moving wall and that is why Emma had 'disappeared.'

The Goats insisted on finding out where this secret passage led, but Kiyra wasn't going to let them for two simple reasons. There would be one person left outside the moving wall because he needed to flip the switch. Also, they needed to be able to find a way back. Luckily, Lars found a switch on the other side of the wall that did the same thing.

The Goats followed this new passageway, which quite a bit smaller than the others. Except for the section where the moving wall was, the Goats had to crawl on their hands and knees. The walls, ceiling, and floor were made of smooth stone. Both Kiyra and Tyrell noticed that the passage had a slight incline. The Goats crawled for many minutes before they came out anywhere. Kiyra was crawling ahead of the rest and she stopped when the tunnel widened a slight bit. She found a door on the ceiling and opened it just a little. The noise from the room above them made all of the Goats freeze.

Kiyra peeked out and shut it quickly. "It was a kitchen. This lets us out under a big, heavy table, the kind they never move. Let's keep going." she whispered.

In just a minute of fast crawling, the Goats came to a dead end. Kiyra looked over her head and opened this door. This time, the room was silent and Kiyra opened it all the way. They were under another table, but this one was covered with a spotless white tablecloth. All the Goats climbed out to stretch. Kiyra noticed that this was a banquet hall, probably the largest one, judging by its immense size.

The Goats hurried back through the small tunnel, through the moving wall, and up through the stables. Tyrell quickly gave Stefan a summary of their adventures, leaving out the Goats' discovery of the moving wall and the passage behind it. Stefan told them that the council meeting was just getting out. The Goats thanked him and went to find Geoff.

The nobles were mingling outside the council room, as they had before the meeting. Geoff was looking very happy. Cart and Julie were talking to some of the council members. When Geoff saw the Goats, he scowled for a moment.

"Didn't I tell you to go home?" He asked.

"Did you really expect us to listen?" Kiyra shot back. "What happened with the meeting? Geoff!"

"We got the funds!" Geoff said ecstatically.

"What of commoners becoming knights?" Tyrell questioned.

"You, Tyrell, will be the first page ever to come out of the Rogue!" Geoff shook the beaming Tyrell's hand. "Any of you that want to!"

"Can I still be a Goat?" Tyrell asked Kiyra uncertainly.

"Of course!" Kiyra scoffed. "Once a Goat, always a Goat." She laughed. "You can't shake us off that easy."

**Review!**


	6. Baby June 464

**CHAPTER 6 - June 464 – Baby  
**

Kiyra wiped the sweat off of her forehead and leaned back. It had been a long day. The Goats had spent the whole morning with their physical training and their afternoon had been spent swimming in the river and pickpocketing. It was late and all of the Goats were in the Hovel, except Kiyra. She was on the kitchen roof that she had fallen off of last September. It was probably the coolest place in the city, since Randy, the cook, refused to light the ovens. Some might say that the business was worse, but the Dove was certainly a lot cooler.

Kiyra opened her eyes and inspected the stars above her. They glistened, even brighter than usual for a summer night. Kiyra remembered, many years ago, when she and her little brother sat on the roof of the house that they shared with many other families. They had watched the stars and for a minute had been away from the squalor of their own home. Kiyra pushed that to the back of her mind.

So much had changed since she had fallen off this roof. Geoff became the king of the Rogue, probably the best one the Rogue ever laid eyes on. The Goats had been formed and all eleven of them were trained in the best manner. Since Geoff had gotten his funds, new orphanages, schools, and infirmaries had been built. Most of the street kids now slept in one of the orphanages and left during the day. The Goats were the only picks that slept in the Dove now.

Crime was almost nonexistent when these structures were being built, as it gave men an honest way to earn money that involved no risk from the Provost. The schools took mostly children, but any man or woman that wanted to could go and learn. Women on the streets, unwilling prostitutes, could work in the infirmaries even if they didn't have the Gift. They cleaned and helped take care of the patients. There was a special rooming house where they could stay for free and they even got paid.

The orphanages were working better than Kiyra had expected. She loved living on the streets and expected no children to turn themselves in to the orphanage. To her surprise, the orphanages were filled within a month. Some of the children weren't even street kids, but their parents died or they were being raised by those who couldn't take care of them properly. The children went to school and learned honest working skills. There were also jobs available for the street women here, with the same perks as the infirmary jobs.

Geoff had given jobs to the street kids at workhouses. The kids only had to work for six hours a day and the jobs were safe. They got paid. It wasn't as much as they would earn from pickpocketing, but they didn't have to give most of what they earned to the Rogue, as the picks did. The workhouse jobs also held no risk from the Provost's men, as pickpocketing did.

Kiyra wasn't sure if she liked all these changes. She had liked the dirty, busy, lower city streets. They were cleaner now and only eighty percent of the children were on them. The only good place to steal was the nobles' market. It was lucky Kiyra had accustomed herself to stealing there, or she would have had to adapt. Kiyra liked how some of the smaller children had stopped stealing and gone to the orphanages. Dann was now one of the youngest picks in the whole city. Soon, even that would change.

Geoff had told the Goats that he wanted them to stop stealing. Kiyra had blown up at Geoff and asked him what the point of the Rogue was when there was no crime? What was he doing to the Rogue? He was destroying it! After he was done with Corus, was he going to reform Port Caynn? Was he going to single-handedly remove crime from every corner of Corus?

Geoff had stopped her tirade. He told her that he hadn't planned on 'single-handedly' removing crime from Corus and had counted on his _friends _to help him. Geoff then looked at her for a moment. He said that Kiyra just didn't want things to change and that was selfish when so many peoples' lives were being made better.

That was so close to the truth that Kiyra stalked off and hadn't talked to Geoff since their fight, which was two weeks before. She had made it a point to steal as often as she could. She didn't give it to the Rogue, because that would have helped Geoff. Kiyra knocked on the door of her house and left the coins in a pouch by the door. She left before she would see any of her family.

Kiyra had been avoiding all of her friends, even the Goats, since her fight to Geoff. She wanted them to worry about her, so she made sure that they didn't see her. She snuck in Lalasa's shop after dark, when it was deserted, to sleep there. She bought her food using the money that she stole.

Kiyra knew she was being spiteful, but she didn't care. She wanted to see the Goats, but she wanted to wait until after they were asleep so that they didn't see her. That was why she was on the roof of the Dancing Dove. No one could see her, draped in the shadows as she was.

Kiyra started as someone swung themselves out of the window that was over the one-story kitchen roof. She rolled her eyes when she saw who it was.

"Hey, Tyrell." Kiyra said. Tyrell gave a little yelp.

"Kiyra, what are you doing here?" The Bazhir twelve year old asked.

"Same thing you are." Kiyra lay back on the roof again.

"You're hurting Geoff, you know." Tyrell said wisely. Kiyra ignored the pang of guilt and changed the subject.

"Look, there's the Goddess and the Cat." Kiyra pointed up at the stars. "Mithros, the Hag, and the Black God."

"Kiyra, I'm not stupid." Tyrell grinned. "But, there's the Grand Compass."

"That's the Trickster!" Kiyra laughed. The Trickster was hard to find because of the way its stars moved across the sky.

"Kiyra, are you mad that I'm to be a page?"

"Of course not! I'm proud of you. I think that it's wonderful."

"I'll visit you and the other Goats as often as I can." A smile crossed Tyrell's face. "I'll miss the stealing though."

"Yah," Kiyra snickered. "We'll practice so that you don't lose all your talent."

"Thanks." Tyrell unexpectedly hugged Kiyra. Startled, Kiyra stiffened for a second before she wrapped her arms around the younger boy.

When they had both returned to their spaces, Tyrell flushed. "It wasn't like one of those boy-girl hugs."

Kiyra laughed. "I know. "

"Merci, Lars, and Cole want to be pages too." Tyrell spoke as if he expected Kiyra to pummel him for that bit of information.

"That's good. What about Finn?" Kiyra asked.

"He hasn't decided yet. He can always start late. He's only ten."

"When will you start?"

"In the late summer." Tyrell said. "I will miss you. You'll have to visit me."

"Tyrell?" A voice interrupted their conversation. It was Cart, who was somewhere in the depths of the Dove.

"Yah!" Tyrell shouted.

"Have you seen Julie anywhere?" Kiyra could tell that Cart was worried by the frantic tone of his voice.

"Nay!" Tyrell looked at Kiyra. "I'll look for her!"

Kiyra scrambled to the edge of the roof and jumped off with the ease of much practice since last September. Tyrell swung off not one second after her.

"Where could she be?" Kiyra asked as they started to run.

"I dunno," Tyrell said slowly. "Maybe she's having her baby."

The thought sped up their legs even more. Kiyra searched her brain as she searched the streets for any sign of Julie.

"Lalasa!" Kiyra shouted. "Julie might've gone to Lalasa, only Lalasa is in Port Caynn but I was supposed to tell that to Julie and I didn't!"

"What?" Tyrell asked.

"Never mind, it's this way!" Kiyra abruptly changed direction and only just missed colliding with a fat nobleman.

"I hope you know where you're goin'!" Tyrell grumbled, short of breath.

Kiyra's eyes found Lalasa's shop, where Lalasa had taught Julie about child care. Kiyra pounded up the steps and tried the door. It was unlocked. Since Lalasa wasn't careless, Julie had to be in there.

Sure enough, Kiyra could hear quiet groans as soon as she opened the door. Remembering that someone else might be in the shop, Kiyra drew her dirk. Tyrell did likewise. There was no one but a small form lying in the back room.

The back room was small, but clean. It had a crib in one corner with a rocking chair beside it. Kiyra knew that there were blankets and a folding cot in the closet. They had been there since the time six years ago when Kiyra needed to get away from home for a spell.

"Julie!" Tyrell whispered. Julie must have heard him or sensed their presence, because she half got up, but slumped down again.

"Tyrell, get into the closet!" Kiyra ordered. "There's a cot and get all the blankets and sheets that you can." Tyrell obeyed.

Kiyra went to Julie. The younger girl was shivering, but her brow was hot and feverish. Kiyra laid a hand on Julie's swollen belly and felt kicks. Kiyra knew that these were contractions. Sighing, Kiyra helped Tyrell maneuver the cot out of the closet. Once it was set up, Kiyra and Tyrell lifted Julie onto it. During the process, Julie woke up.

"Kiyra?" Julie mumbled. "I think I need a midwife."

Kiyra smiled. "You got one."

Tyrell looked panic stricken. "What do you know about deliverin' a baby?"

"Plenty." Kiyra said. "Tyrell, there's a woodstove in the shop. Find a kettle and heat as much water as you can. Pour it into this basin." Tyrell still looked skeptical, but he obeyed.

"Julie, don't push, alright?" Kiyra told her. "Just let the baby come." Julie nodded. Kiyra unfolded a blanket and laid it on the floor around the cot. Then, Kiyra unfastened Julie's skirt and underclothes and pulled them off. She draped a blanket over Julie to keep her warm and to hide anything that Tyrell would not want to see.

Kiyra was making a pile of blankets when Merci and Emma ran in. "We saw Tyrell and came in. Can we help?" Merci breathed.

"Yah, bring in the water when Tyrell heats it, Merci." Merci ran to the outside room. "Emma, can you hold Julie's hand? Try not to mind it if she squeezes too hard."

Emma obeyed and quietly whispered to Julie.

Merci brought in the first batch of steaming water and carefully poured it in the basin. She bit her lip as she looked at Julie. "Kiyra, don't you want me to fetch a midwife?"

Kiyra shook her head. "There isn't time. I'm as good a midwife as any."

"What do you know about babies?" Merci exclaimed. "The having them part, anyway."

Kiyra drew herself up. "I've helped with the 'having them part' when I was Emma's age. I'll cope. Bring me back some scissors from the shop." Merci looked as if she didn't believe Kiyra, but she left to get more water and the scissors.

Kiyra dipped the corner of a small, thin blanket in the hot water. "Emma, can you bathe her forehead with this?" Emma took the blanket and with gentle hands, did as Kiyra had told her.

Julie screamed and Emma pulled the hot blanket away as fast as she could. "Go on," Kiyra told Emma. "It was another contraction, not what you did. It means that the baby's coming." The eight year old nodded. Julie screamed again and her knuckles turned white where she gripped Emma's hand. Emma winced, but said nothing.

Kiyra removed the blanket and moved Julie's knees apart. Merci came in with another batch of water and paled at the sight of Julie. Eyes half closed, Merci poured the water into the basin, which was now full. She set the scissors down next to Kiyra.

"I think that me and Tyrell are gonna wait outside." Merci promptly fled as quickly as she could, visibly green around the edges. Julie yelled and Emma's knuckles cracked.

"Emma, she's going to break your hand." Kiyra removed the girl's hand from Julie's hold. "Come over here." Emma gratefully wrung out her hand.

"Kiyra, have you really done babies before?" Emma rolled up her sleeves to mimic Kiyra's.

"A couple of my little brothers and sisters." Kiyra nodded towards Julie. "That's where the baby will come out." Emma looked and made a face.

"Do the baby's feet come out first?" Emma asked, nosed wrinkled up.

"Sometimes. The head's supposed to come out first and that makes the birthing easier. If the feet come first, sometimes you have to turn the baby. Sometimes the baby gets stuck and none of it gets out. Then you really have to turn it." Kiyra taught.

"Oh. Is that the baby?" The top of the baby's head could just be seen.

"Yes! Julie, push now!" Kiyra cupped her hands around the baby's head. "Julie, PUSH!" Julie bit her lip until it bled. The baby's shoulders slid out and Kiyra supported them with one hand. "Emma, see how I'm doing this?"

The rest of the baby slithered out into Kiyra's hands. "It's a girl!" Emma shouted gleefully. "A girl!"

Kiyra smiled joyously, loving the sound of the newborn's wailing. "Julie, it's a girl!" Kiyra grabbed the scissors and handed them to Emma. "Cut the cord, will you?"

Emma hesitated. "It won't hurt either of them?" Kiyra shook her head and the umbilical cord was cut. "It's bleeding!" Emma cried.

"It's alright!" Kiyra dipped a washcloth in the warm water and cleaned the baby. "Julie, meet your daughter." Kiyra wrapped the baby in a clean, dry blanket and handed the newborn to her friend, who had tears in her eyes. Julie smiled lovingly down at her daughter.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Julie asked wondrously. Her eyelids were closing, but she kept jerking them back up again.

"She's healthy and that's what matters. Julie, you need to nurse the baby." Kiyra helped Julie fix her shirt.

"What are you gonna name her?" Emma's dark face was curious.

"Anna." Julie said simply. The name fit the sweet little face perfectly.

The three were silent for a bit. The world seemed utopian when you were watching a newborn and her mother. After the baby was finished nursing, both Julie and Anna fell asleep. Kiyra gently took Anna from her mother.

"Emma, sit in the rocking chair." Emma sat and held out her hands for the baby. "Here you go." Kiyra handed Anna to Emma and started to clean up the mess.

An hour later, Kiyra had finished and was sitting in the rocking chair. Emma was on one knee and they were both holding little Anna. After seeing the baby, Tyrell and Merci had left to find Cart. He was already there and Kiyra could hear his footsteps.

"Is she alright?" Cart asked, looking worried as he knelt by Julie. He stroked her forehead with his hand.

"Both Julie and little Anna are fine. Come here." Kiyra would have gotten up to hand the baby to Cart, but she was exhausted. Instead, Cart took Anna and looked deep into her face.

"Oh." Cart was speechless. The baby wasn't his, but he and Julie loved each other. Julie would have much preferred to call her baby as Cart's, so Cart was kind of like the father.

A key turned in the lock of the shop. "That's strange." A voice that Kiyra knew as Lalasa's said. Kiyra groaned and shifted out of the rocking chair. Holding sleepy Emma's hand, Kiyra walked to the door of the back room.

"Hello Lalasa." Kiyra grinned.

"What is going on?" Lalasa's eyebrows shot up as she struggled with a couple wrapped packages.

"Well, it's a long story, but Julie had her baby!" Kiyra skipped some of the details and cut straight to the good information.

"Where?" Lalasa was very surprised.

"In the back room?" Kiyra's eyes glinted mischievously. "Julie came here and we had to find her. It wasn't_ supposed_ to happen in the back room, it just did."

Lalasa dropped an oddly shaped parcel and Kiyra picked it up, setting it on the counter. "Who delivered the child?"

Kiyra smiled proudly. "I did. Everything went well. I had Emma here to help me." Kiyra and Lalasa looked down at Emma to find that she was asleep on her feet. It was late, far past the midnight hour.

"You better get that young midwife home to bed." Lalasa laughed. "Where's the baby?"

"She's in with Julie." Kiyra pointed and picked up Emma. Without waiting to see what Lalasa did, Kiyra stumbled outside. She almost dropped Emma halfway down the steps, but managed to keep her hold.

Strong arms tugged the girl out of Kiyra's hold. Blinking, Kiyra peered up at Geoff. She stiffened and tried to pull Emma back to her.

"Kiyra, stop it." Geoff looked so completely lost that Kiyra almost laughed. "Listen, I'm sorry. We both said things we didn't mean."

"I meant everything I said!" Kiyra spat.

"Fine, I said things that I didn't mean!" Geoff threw his hands up in exasperation. "I know you're not selfish, but you do hate things to change." Kiyra couldn't argue with that. "Can we at least be friends again?" Geoff asked.

Kiyra couldn't resist his sad face. She hugged Geoff quickly. "Alright. Julie had her baby. She named her Anna."

"Where were you all this time? It's been two weeks." Geoff questioned protectively. He shouldered Emma.

"I was around." Kiyra shrugged. "Nowhere particular."

"Did anyone hurt you, or threaten you, or…" Kiyra cut Geoff off.

"No, of course not. I can take care of myself, you know." Kiyra defended herself.

"When are you gonna get us Goats a real mission?"

"Soon," Geoff murmured. "After you've gotten some rest."

"Tomorrow?" Kiyra asked delightedly.

"Maybe." Geoff said finally. Kiyra yawned so largely that it hurt her jaw. They came to the Dove and Geoff brought Emma and Kiyra to the Hovel, where both slept.

The next night, Kiyra was walking up the steps to Geoff's room. She heard voices inside and stopped to eavesdrop.

"The Goats are doing well." The unfamiliar voice made Kiyra cock her head curiously.

"Yes, sir, just like you said." That was Geoff's voice.

"The girl who leads them, she's outside your door."

The door was pulled open quickly. Geoff looked disapprovingly at Kiyra, who tried to look innocent.

"You might as well come in." Geoff looked back at the other man for affirmation.

"Oh, I was just leaving." The voice said.

The strangest man that Kiyra had ever seen came out. He wasn't very tall and he had a white beard with gray speckled in it. He wore an excessive amount of jewelry and beads. Kiyra also got the oddest impression that she had seen him before, a very long time ago. On any account, he left Kiyra somewhat speechless.

"Who was that?" Kiyra asked Geoff, who smiled and shook his head.


	7. Good Times July 464

**Sorry that this took me so long to post, I was having computer problems AND a writer's block. **

**CHAPTER 7 - July – Good Times  
**

Kiyra was awoken in the middle of night by Geoff. Kiyra mumbled something and rolled over, but Geoff was persistent. Finally, Kiyra furiously sat up.

"Is something wrong with Anna or one of the Goats?"

"No," Geoff was cut off by an irate Kiyra.

"Then I don't care." Kiyra closed her eyes and willed Geoff to be far, far away.

"I have a mission for you." Geoff tugged on Kiyra again, who had suddenly perked up.

"Really?"

"Yes, wake up the other Goats. Don't dress in your uniforms. Hurry." Geoff left the Hovel.

Kiyra struggled up. "Tyrell! Lars! Merci!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

All of the Goats stirred. Those who had been called sat up and looked at Kiyra with bleary eyes.

"Up and at 'em!" Kiyra stomped her foot. "We have a mission to do! Come on, dress in your normal clothes!"

"Just them?" Toady sat up and glared at the three who Kiyra had called.

"No, anyone that's up in two minutes!" That remark sent all the Goats tumbling out of their beds. Kiyra helped Dann tie his shirt laces and Emma braid her hair. In less than four minutes, the Goats were ready. All were dressed in their everyday clothes, which were less than clean and new. Many were barefoot, because their only pair of shoes was the shiny boots that completed their uniform.

Geoff walked in again. "Good. Now come close and listen up. You all know that the king is in Port Caynn?" There were nods. "Well, his spies told him that there is to be a mage-made earthquake. That means that he needs the Dominion Jewel. He can't come back and get it, because there might be an enemy waiting to kill him. Soldiers can't bring it because they're too noticeable. A bunch of raggedy, yet competent children would be perfect. Which is why the king has sent word for you to bring him the Dominion Jewel."

"Us?" Kiyra blurted. "What if we stole it?"

Geoff's face tightened. "Then I would hunt each of you down and kill you." Kiyra shivered. She actually believed him.

"We would never steal it." Tyrell reassured the Rogue's Majesty.

"Where is it?" Merci asked, curious to see the stone that they had heard about in legend.

"You must each swear to me an oath that you will do all you can to make sure that the Dominion Jewel makes it to King Jonathon's hand." Geoff said seriously. "Repeat after me; We, as Rogue Goats," Geoff paused to let the picks say it. "…swear that we will do all that is in our power," There was another pause to let the Goats repeat the phrase. "…to ensure that the Dominion Jewel reaches our monarch, King Jonathon's hand." The Goats finished and looked at Geoff expectantly.

"Alright, here it is." Geoff laughed and pulled out a small leather bag from his pocket. He loosened the string and turned the bag out into his hand. A deep red gem with many faceted sides fell into his palm.

"May I hold it please?" Kiyra held out her hands beseechingly. Geoff answered by dropping the jewel into her hands. Kiyra knelt and let all of the Goats touch it.

"It's the prettiest thing." Dann murmured.

"You'll be the one holding on to it." Geoff told Dann. All the Goats gasped in unison.

"Why me?" Dann stuttered. "I'm small, I'm weak!"

"Exactly." Geoff nodded smugly. "Who would expect you to have it?"

Cole's face twisted with jealousy that he quickly concealed. "But if the oldest don't have it, maybe they'd go to the youngest?"

"I thought of that." Geoff rubbed his forehead with both hands. "Let's just say that a close friend of mine advised me on this. Dann will carry the Jewel."

Cole nodded, accepting the answer even if he didn't like it.

"What if Dann loses it?" Kiyra interjected. She trusted Dann as much as any of her Goats, but he was young.

Geoff drew a leather pouch from his coat pocket. "He won't. Put the Jewel in here, Kiyra. This pouch cannot be lost nor stolen. You can only give it away, Dann, so keep it on at all times."

"How do you keep getting these things?" Tyrell touched the pouch and then his own Goat necklace.

"I have connections and coins." The young man laughed. "Now, you must leave immediately. Make sure that you are not followed. Get to Port Caynn as quick as you can and deliver this to the King." Geoff tied the leather pouch around Dann's waist.

"Won't we be recognized?" Finn asked worriedly.

"Not if you're careful. Outfit yourselves with these rags." Tugging on a box, Geoff pulled the cover off to reveal rags that might be called clothing.

Kiyra tugged at one, almost grimacing at the smell and the lice that crawled among the scraps of cloth. She stopped herself when she remembered that she had been wearing rags like these not too long ago.

"Here, Dann, put this on." Emma helped the younger boy pull on a ragged tunic in a motherly way. "Try to hide the pouch.

The Goats looked like the scrawny street rats that they had once been when they were finished. Geoff had taken away their dirks, after promising to return them, and given them sturdy iron blades disguised as cheap copper ones. He had also smeared dirt on their arms and legs, even where their rags covered it. Geoff did leave their Goat necklaces, just in case they needed them. They were magical after all and could alert the others to a Goat in trouble.

An hour had passed since the time that the Goats had woken up. They had been too tired to want food, but Geoff had made them eat some cold bread and cheese. The eleven Goats left in the cover of the dawn.

Getting out of Corus was easier than it should have been. Kiyra was proud of Toady when he pointed that out to her.

"Their security stinks. Geoff could do better." Toady looked

"Geoff for king!" Finn joked, dark face blending in with his surroundings.

Cole was silent, unusual for him. He would usually have joked and replied with something funny.

"Maybe we should get going." Tyrell suggested. "We've a long, hopefully boring, walk ahead of us."

* * *

The trip was relatively boring until a day from Port Caynn. The disguised Goats walked and rested by intervals and scrounged for food. When they traveled, they split up into groups of three or four. Kiyra was worried that eleven children in a group would be too noticeable. Everything had gone perfect until they had been noticed. 

Kiyra, Rye, Cole, and Dann had been in a group in a forest. Kiyra knew that the other two groups were in hearing distance. She heard their shouts and yells and stiffened, but her attention wavered when eight men in green and brown tunics jumped out at her group.

All four had their daggers out in seconds. Dann shifted nervously on his feet and his hand went uncertainly to his belt pouch. The man, who looked to be the leader, held out his hand. He had seen Dann's motion and knew that he had the Jewel. Dann looked to Kiyra, who shook her head. Dann looked back at the man and bit his lip. Kiyra knew that he was about to save his friends and give the Dominion Jewel to the assassins.

Cole knew it too. He raised his dagger and jumped out at the leader. The leader was ready for him and slashed his sword down on Cole's shoulder. Cole still held true and buried his dagger deep in the man's chest. Both fell in a heap on the ground.

Kiyra yelled angrily, ignoring the tears that ran down her face. She slit two men's throats and stabbed another in the heart. Kiyra hit one man on the nose bone with the hilt of her dagger, hearing bones crack and knowing he was dead. She whipped around to fight more, but they were all dead. Both Rye and Dann had accounted for the remaining three men.

"Cole?" Dann ran to the fallen Goat, Rye not far behind.

Kiyra lifted Cole off the dead leader and laid him on the ground. Rye slid out of his shirt and pressed it to Cole's shoulder. Dann touched Cole's cheek and started to sob.

Kiyra looked to the bushes, where she heard quick footsteps. She readied herself to throw her dagger at whoever might come through.

"Kiyra!" Tyrell shouted as he crashed into the clearing. Emma and Toady supported a half-limp Finn behind Tyrell.

"Is Cole alive?" Emma gasped when she saw the bloodstained shoulder.

"I think so." Kiyra turned to look at Finn. "How bad is he?"

"I'm fine." Finn assured her.

Merci, Lars, and Wren hurtled through the bushes. None of them were injured as badly as Finn or Cole.

Wren's eyes filled with tears when she saw Cole, but she got to work. Kiyra had no idea how she knew this, but Wren grabbed a kind of thick moss that was growing on a tree. She removed the soaked shirt that Rye had staunched the blood with, and pressed the moss to the wound.

All the Goats gathered around Cole. Finn's wounds were serious, but mainly just a broken leg and a bump on the head. Most of the others were hurt, including Kiyra, but they were not hurt seriously.

"Kiyra?" Cole's eyelids fluttered and he moaned. "Sorry…that I can't…help anymore. Glad that…I didn't have…to get…old." He smiled jokingly, but grimaced in pain.

"Sssh." Kiyra wiped tears off her face. "Don't talk. Save your strength for getting better."

"Whatever…listen…it was my fault…not yours…nothing anyone…could have done…" Cole's breath faltered, but he gasped in air. "Get jewel to king…stop earthquake…"

"We will." Lars promised his best friend. "Don't worry."

"You'll get better." Emma held Cole's hand, letting him squeeze it when the pain got too bad.

"I'm not stupid…I know I'm…dying… not scared." Cole let out a sharp laugh. "We had fun…us Goats…running from Provost…picking…" Cole's eyes twinkled impishly and he nudged Lars. "…drinking…"

"Don't cry…" Cole's eyes drifted over Kiyra for a moment. "The jewel…king…" The boy who had only seen ten years shuddered. "Remember…the good…times."

"Good times." Cole trembled and stopped breathing.

"Noo!" Dann wailed, looking more his age than ever Kiyra had seen.

Lars bitterly spoke up. "Why him? He had so much to do." Lars stood and walked off into the forest.

Kiyra held Dann and Wren close to her. Wren had stopped holding the compress as soon as Cole had died. She was sobbing quietly.

Memories were running through Kiyra's head. Cole's green eyes would dance whenever he and Lars had done a particular bit of mischief…How he had laughed when he made a joke… "C'mon, the nobles are probably thinkin' that we're plannin' revenge."…Cole had been artistic and painted the Goat on the sign on the Hovel's door… Cole always ate his porridge like a complete pig…Cole and Lars wrestling in front of haMinch…Cole had a sense of humor and would even joke in the face of death..."How about Minions?" Cole tried to look evil and failed completely…His dedication to the Jewel and the oath…How he selflessly gave his life.

"Kiyra?" Tyrell's face was screwed up with the effort it took him not to cry. "We need to get the bloody Jewel to the blasted king."

"It's what Cole would have wanted." Kiyra agreed. "It's what we have to do."

**Hah! I did it. I'll have you know how emotionally hard it was to kill Cole off. Review or I'll kill someone else, like Geoff or Dann or Tyrell. Hmm...possibilities are endless. **  



	8. Trouble August 464

**I know its taken a while to get posted and its kind of short, but its a well enough chapter as they go**

**CHAPTER 8 – August – Trouble  
**

Kiyra leaned back in her chair, ignoring the small talk around her. It was depressing anyway. King Jonathon had gotten the Dominion Jewel about two days before the earthquake happened. Corus had gotten the brunt and was shaken to its roots. The Dove's business had been slow, but there was no end of talk. It annoyed Kiyra, who was still bitter about Cole's death.

Kiyra was jolted out of her thoughts by Geoff, who slammed the Dove's door upon entering. The conversations quieted for a second, but took up again. Kiyra got up and walked slowly to him.

"Hey, Geoff. How's it going?"

"The monarchs cut the funds for the Rogue. We can't keep the schools, hospitals, or workhouses up anymore." Geoff slammed his fist against the wall.

"At least we keep the orphanages." Kiyra tried to comfort him.

"Don't at least me!" Geoff shouted. "I'm not stupid! You like it better this way! You like us poor! You like the crime!"

Kiyra shrunk back from Geoff, not used to him yelling at her. "That's not true!" She protested. "Maybe it was that way at first, but not anymore."

Kiyra did like to pickpocket and still did it occasionally, but not as a job. She even tried to help get young prostitutes and thieves off the street.

Geoff sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. I've seen you help." Geoff slumped against the wall, his anger gone, but frustration still in its place.

Kiyra hugged him. "I understand. Was the meeting today horrible?"

He nodded. "Awful. Just a bunch of arguing and nobody listening." Geoff took a deep breath. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

Kiyra's eyes lit up. She and Geoff hadn't done anything over-friendly since their fight two months ago, although they had resolved it. She had thought that it was over between them.

"Wait, just let me get changed." Kiyra ran up the stairs two at a time. She ran into the Hovel and to her bed. She yanked a parcel from under her pillow and ripped the paper off.

In it was a dress, not fancy, but pretty all the same. No one was in the room, so Kiyra shut the door and slid off her white shirt and breeches. She was clean, having just bathed the night before. She pulled on a thin cotton shift and a pair of cream ladies' hose. The dress was new, never having been worn before. Kiyra clumsily fastened the buttons in the back and made last minute adjustments. She swept Merci's comb through her hair and tied it back with a ribbon.

Taking a deep breath, Kiyra left the Hovel. She almost tripped down the stairs, not used to wearing a dress. The dress was light blue, the color of the summer sky when there hadn't been rain in weeks. It swept all the way down and covered her boots completely. It fitted tight around Kiyra's waist, which wasn't as thin as the Court ladies', but she didn't mind. The sleeves of the dress were also tight and reached to her elbow. The neckline didn't reveal anything but wasn't high either. Geoff gasped when he saw her, then grinned.

"You like it?" Kiyra spun in a circle, making the skirt flare out.

"The only time I've ever seen you in a dress is that time with the Court introduction. I like dresses on you." Geoff offered her his arm and Kiyra took it, smiling.

"Lalasa made it. She can make anything look good." The pair walked out the Dove's door and onto the street.

"I don't think it's the dress." Geoff told her.

Kiyra smiled nervously and smoothed her skirt. "Can we go to Lalasa's? I told her I'd visit 'cause she wanted to see me and Julie's there tonight."

The older teen shrugged. "We can go wherever you want."

Kiyra nodded. "That's where then."

Silence followed the last statement, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. Geoff broke it by asking what seemed like a random question.

"How old are you?"

"Um," Kiyra thought hard, "Sixteen in November. Why?"

"Oh, I was just curious." Geoff wouldn't say more.

The pair crossed the street and knocked on Lalasa's shop door. Lalasa herself answered and let them in.

"Does it fit alright?" It was the first thing that came out of Lalasa's mouth.

"You look wonderful!" Julie breathed, coming up behind the older women.

"Thanks, and yes, it fits fine. You made it." Kiyra reminded her friend. "Is Anna and Jerry here?"

"Jerry's at home with my Thomas, but little Anna's sleeping in the back room." Lalasa answered.

"You can hold Anna; she'll sleep through it." Julie said. "I'll come with you."

The wispy haired, two month-old was sleeping. Not for the first time did the amused Kiyra think of how similar the mother and daughter were. Not just the facial features, but their actions. Both had the habit of sleeping on their stomachs and chewing lightly on a knuckle at the same time.

"Here she is." Julie handed Anna to Kiyra. The baby stirred for a moment, but settled down quick enough.

Kiyra cooed softly and looked down at the little child. "Yesterday you said that you had something that you wanted to talk to me about."

"Yes." Julie looked down. "Cart asked me to marry him."

The other girl stood stunned for a minute, but a wide grin soon beamed across her face. "Nice! That's the best! You said yes, didn't you?"

"Of course." Julie laughed with happiness. "He loves me and he loves Anna."

Kiyra hugged Julie one-armed around the baby. "What about the wedding?"

"Me and Cart wanted something small, just friends. We want it soon." Julie said.

"Congratulations." Geoff leaned against the doorway, with a smile on his face. "Or was this a private conversation?"

"No, you're welcome to it." Julie laughed at her friend. "Cart's looking for a house on Cordwood Lane if you want to see him."

Geoff looked at Kiyra. "Well, I don't want to leave her after I promised her…"

Kiyra gave Geoff a little push out the door. "Go on. I want you to. Give him the 'man' talk."

He gave her a grateful smile and left. Kiyra set Anna back into her cradle, grabbed Julie's hand, and practically danced out of the room.

"Lalasa, Julie's getting married!" Kiyra sang out.

"I know," Lalasa laughed. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"Yes." Kiyra said firmly. "And with Cart, too. He's such a good lad."

"It couldn't be anyone better." Lalasa agreed. "And if you want that wedding soon, we'd better start on that dress."

Kiyra could sew, but not well. She could mend clothes, but wasn't close to the talents of Lalasa, or even Julie. Despite her efforts, it seemed that she would never excel at the art.

"I think that I will work on the problem of a wedding present." Kiyra excused herself. The other women laughed, knowing of her skill with a needle.

"You don't have to give us anything." The soon-to-be-bride said firmly.

"Yes I do." Kiyra insisted, just as firm and a bit more stubborn. She rushed out the door before anyone, namely Julie, could convince her to stay.

Kiyra couldn't figure out what to get Julie. She didn't know what Cart would do as a job, since he couldn't be a street acrobat forever. She couldn't get him tools or supplies if she didn't know the job. Maybe it could be something for Anna and the future children. Kiyra liked that idea and expanded on it. She forgot to pay attention to her surroundings.

"You're a mite pretty to be out on the streets this late."

The voice startled Kiyra and she reached for her dirk. It wasn't there. She cursed her stupidity for leaving it on her bed when she had changed into her skirt. Instead, she shifted into a defensive stance and reviewed the situation.

It was a gang of five boys, older than Kiyra or about the same age. They all had shaved heads, except for a tuft of hair above the left ear. They looked tough, and those that weren't holding thick clubs were holding lengths of rope. Kiyra gulped. Her Goat necklace began to burn, but Kiyra realized that help would not be here in time.

In the time it had taken her to think, the gang had circled her. There was nowhere to run. Kiyra began to panic and breathe fast.

"Just give up and everything will go easy for you." The boy who had spoken before walked up menacingly with a strange look in his eyes. Kiyra had seen it in Geoff's eyes when he kissed her. Then, it had been nice. Here, it scared her.

"No." Kiyra shook her head and raised her fists.

"Tie her arms." The boy gestured to the shadows and a younger, blond boy walked out of the shadows.

"Lars?" Kiyra gasped in shock.

Lars did a double take and dropped the rope. He turned to the leader, the boy who had spoken before. "I can't do this – not to her."

"Who is it, your sister?" One of the other boys sneered. "Do it or you won't get paid."

"I can't." Lars gulped. "The others were different. Let her go."

The leader backhanded Lars and he crumpled to the ground. Tears came to Kiyra's eyes and the phrase 'the others were different' was running through her head.

"I'll use my Gift if you don't back down now." Kiyra raised her arms as if she really did have a Gift.

"I see magic." Another boy sniggered. "You have none."

"Oh." Kiyra fumbled for another excuse. "Please, just let me go."

The leader ignored her. He snapped his fingers and two boys grabbed Kiyra before she had time to move. One of the smallest of the five boys was more than happy to tie her wrists behind her back.

Tears were running down Kiyra's face. She kicked and struggled, but she couldn't break free. She bit one boy's hand and stomped on one's foot. That was as far as she got. The boy who talked most punched her in the gut and the air left her lungs. He reached for her skirt and began to run his fingers around the edges.

Kiyra opened her mouth as soon as she could breathe again and said the first thing that came to find. "Geoff will kill you."

A flicker of something, maybe fear, maybe anger, passed through his eyes. "Who, the King of the Rogue?"

"Yes. He'll kill you. You won't be able to sleep at night until he finds you. Then you won't sleep ever again." She rambled.

"Listen to her. She's right." A familiar voice sounded from the edge of the alleyway.

Kiyra's heart leaped. It was Geoff.

Geoff flipped a knife straight into the stomach of the leader. He was attack by the remaining four boys, but dismantled them easily. He wasn't the Rogue Majesty for nothing. Kiyra had dropped to Lars' side, knowing that she could do nothing with her tied hands. Geoff rushed to her side as soon as the last gang member fell to the ground.

"Are you alright?" Geoff quickly slashed at the rope that held her wrists together. Kiyra began to sob with relief and fright, although she was safe now.

"It's Lars." Kiyra turned the unconscious boy over on his back. "He was helping them."

Geoff's faced tightened with uncontrollable anger. "The little…I'll kill him."

"Don't." Kiyra wished she hadn't told him. "I'll talk to him."

Geoff's calloused thumb wiped away the tears on her face. "Ssssh. It's alright."

"How'd you know I needed you?" Kiyra clung to Geoff's arm.

"The same way that the Goats use their necklaces." He explained.

Speaking of the Goats, Rye and Toady whipped around the corner.

"Kiyra, are you okay?" Toady shouted.

"Did they hurt you?" Rye jumped over the bodies like a deer and threw his arms around her.

"I'm fine, really." Kiyra reassured them.

"Geoff made fine work of these." Toady glanced at the dead bodies with an ironic smile on his face.

"We thought you were okay, since the necklaces stopped hurting, but we had to check." Rye looked up at Kiyra just to make sure once again.

"Lars?" Toady knelt by the boy's side and shook him. Lars stirred and half-sat up. "Was he trying to protect you?"

"Yes. He didn't stand much of a chance, though." Kiyra shook her head sadly.

Lars looked very surprised, but he was still guilt faced.

"Let's get home." Geoff helped Kiyra up, who in turn helped to support Lars. Rye and Toady followed, keeping watch for other enemies.

* * *

"What in the name of Mithros and the Goddess were you thinking?" Kiyra calmly asked Lars. The pair were alone in Geoff's room, which was a quiet, private place. 

Although she hadn't yelled, Lars flushed and looked at the ground. "Nothing."

"Then why? You said that there were others." She looked him straight in the eyes. "You helped those boys rape other women and girls."

Tears came to Lars' eyes and he furiously rubbed at his nose. "They paid me."

This time Kiyra yelled. "You don't need money! You have food, shelter, and friends!"

"I don't have money!" Lars protested. "I didn't make enough stealing."

"What do you need money for?" Kiyra willed him to answer truthfully.

Lars looked at the ground and mumbled something unintelligible.

"I didn't catch that." Kiyra informed him.

He cleared his throat. "Laugh powder."

Kiyra sat stunned on the bed. Laugh powder was a strong drug that made the users forget their cares. It also cost a lot.

"Is it about Cole?" Kiyra asked. Lars nodded. "Listen, that stuff kills you off early. I don't want that happening to you."

"I don't care. It's my decision and I choose to use it." Lars lifted his chin defiantly.

"No. Lars, you know that rape is wrong." Kiyra started to cry again. "You helped hurt other women. You know it's wrong."

"I know. I know. I didn't think. I was so stupid. So stupid." Lars rushed up to Kiyra and hugged her.

"You'll stop with the drugs, won't you?" She begged.

"I don't know if I can. They make me feel better and I need them."

"You don't need them. Goats are stronger than that. You're stronger than that." Kiyra gazed levelly at the younger boy.

Lars stared back for a moment, then took a deep breath. "I'll stop. I can do it."

Kiyra nodded happily.

"Kiyra, how can I make it better…" Lars trailed off mid-sentence.

"You mean with the girls that were raped?" Kiyra supplied.

"Yes. I helped with two. I remember what they looked like. I want to make it right."

"They'll kill you if you go to the Temple of the Goddess."

"I know. I probably deserve it."

"Geoff will know what to do. Go to him and tell him your decision."

"This will probably mean that I don't get to be a knight. I'm okay with that." Lars took another deep breath and left the room.

Kiyra plucked at the coverlet on the bed. She needed to do some praying at the Temple for Lars, something she hadn't done for a long time. She did not want him to die for his crime. He was still a Goat, still her friend.

* * *

_Goddess, I know I haven't worshiped here for a while and I'm sorry for that. Listen, Lars is in a bit of trouble. Lars is my friend. He's a good boy, just sad. He was buying laugh powder because Cole died. Lars couldn't steal the money he needed, so he got it some other way. He helped a gang rape two girls. He didn't actually rape them, but he helped. I'm sure they could have done it without him, but that doesn't matter. He was wrong and he knows it. As I pray now, Lars is confessing his crime to the Priestesses. They'll decide his punishment. At least it won't go public, seeing as he was just a small accomplice in the crime. He's willing to pay for what he did, only I don't want him to die. I don't think that he wants to die either. Please, don't make him die. Please. Just, don't let the priestesses give him the death sentence. Amen._

Kiyra stood before the altar and flexed her bent knees. She nodded to a Priestess and headed toward the door where Lars had disappeared in. She followed a corridor until she saw Geoff leaning against a wooden door.

"Is he in there?" She asked and he nodded in reply. She gripped his hand in her sweaty, nervous hand and stood next to him.

Five, maybe ten, minutes passed before the Head Priestess came out. Lars was right behind her.

The old women spoke first. "The boy has clearly expressed his sorrow for taking part in the crime. Sending him to the mine or the docks would be a death sentence and his transgressions were not as serious as some we have seen. He is too young to serve as a soldier. Still, justice calls out. He must pay for what he did. It has been decided that he will enlist on a ship of the Royal Tortallen Navy. He can serve as a ship's boy for two years before being freed. It is the best option."

"I'm fine with it." Lars told Geoff and Kiyra. "It's better than dying. It could be a lot worse."

Kiyra wrapped her arms around him and squeezed hard. "You little fool." She whispered into his ear. "You're crazy."

Lars spoke seriously and thoughtfully. "But aren't we all?"


	9. Son September 464

**Disclaimer - By now, anyone who doesn't know what is mine and what is T.P.'s should stop reading my fanfic.**

**CHAPTER 9 – September - Son  
**

Kiyra walked through the palace stable, singing a quiet song so that Stefan would know that it was a friend. It was after midnight, but Kiyra didn't want to talk to him. She did want to use the secret passageway that led up to the pages' wing.

Kiyra walked into the empty stall and removed the loose boards, exposing the hole and trapdoor. She yanked the iron ring and slid into the hole. Kiyra followed the winding passageway for about five minutes until she got to the little room. She could climb up another trapdoor and appear near the pages' stable, but she didn't want to do that. She continued down the passage, which started to get steeper.

Kiyra was going to visit Tyrell, Merci, Finn, and Toady. They had recently become pages. Rye and Emma could have become pages, but they had decided not to. Kiyra was glad, because she hated not seeing her Goats every day. Lars had been at sea for a month now. They had told the Goats that Lars had decided to join on and he had been allowed to say goodbye to his friends. There were the four pages, which just left Rye, Emma, Wren, and Dann.

Outside of a small door, Kiyra listened. She didn't hear anything and opened it cautiously. It opened into the stone pages' hallway. Kiyra knew which rooms her Goats were in and picked the lock of Tyrell's room.

Tyrell was sprawled out on his bed, just like he slept back in the Hovel. He looked tired and had a fresh black eye. His books and parchment were stacked neatly by his bed. Kiyra tiptoed up to him.

"Tyrell, you'd be dead by now if I was out to hurt you." She whispered into his ear. He jumped up wildly and calmed when he saw it was her.

"You scared me." His words were as crisp as if he hadn't just woken up.

"I'm sorry. How'd you get the shiner?"

"Some noble cat scratch thought Toady was easy pickings. He didn't know that Goats stick together like glue." Tyrell said venomously.

"So you gave him what you got?"

"He won't be bothering us again." Tyrell laughed.

"Not if he knows what's good for him." Kiyra agreed. "Are they giving you lessons on your Gift?"

"Yes, but I still go to the teacher Geoff got for me. He's real good. How is everything back home?" Tyrell wondered.

"Anna's teething already. Cart and Julie are really happy ever since they've gotten married. Cart's working at the carpenter shop and really enjoying it." Kiyra ran out of things to say.

"That's good." Tyrell replied. "So, what about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"What about you? Gotten into any trouble lately?"

"I'm clean." Kiyra laughed, meaning that she hadn't done anything bad in a while. She really hadn't, apart from the loaf that she'd nicked for a street kid's breakfast.

"Listen, I'd better let you sleep. I hear that they work you pages hard." Kiyra hugged Tyrell and left the room.

Next was Finn's room. Kiyra was halfway through picking the lock when the door was yanked open.

"Finn, it's just me!" Kiyra whispered.

He grinned sheepishly. "I thought it was one of the pages." He let her in and shut the door behind them.

Turning, Finn called out to the bed. "Toady, it's just Kiyra. You can come out."

Toady popped out from under the bed and grinned up at Finn and Kiyra.

Kiyra shook her head. "Breaking rules already?"

"We were working on the schoolwork. It's hard." Finn complained.

"We can already do stuff better than the other pages. It isn't fair." Toady whined.

"You knew that being pages wouldn't be easy." Kiyra reminded them. "It's all about being the best that you can and working until you drop."

"I know, I know." Finn groaned, candlelight reflecting off his black skin. "All of our teachers reminded us that a million times already."

"Help the poor, protect the weak…." Toady began and Finn clamped his hand around Toady's mouth.

"Can you help us with our work?" Finn begged.

"No," Kiyra laughed. "Face your own consequences. Geoff already made me learn what you're doing. I'm done."

Finn and Toady dropped their heads in their hands and moaned.

"Stop that!" Kiyra yelped, feeling guilty. "Here, let me help."

The two boys immediately stopped and looked triumphantly at each other. Once again, Kiyra felt bested.

It only took ten minutes of Kiyra's explaining and demonstrating for them to finish their work. Kiyra left them with the advice of maybe paying attention in class in the future.

Merci was asleep over her schoolwork. It was only half-done. Kiyra shook her awake.

"Hello, Kiyra." Merci's voice was slurred. Kiyra knew that she must be exhausted. The Goats still worked hard, but pages were pushed to the limit.

"Hey, Merci. I'll tell you the answers, but you have to write them down." Kiyra was always easier on Merci than the boys because she wasn't constantly planning mischief.

"Thanks. I didn't want to get in trouble, but I was so tired."

"I know. Just work hard and don't give in. I know you can do it." Kiyra hugged Merci. "Now, for those answers."

Merci fell asleep again after the last answer was copied down. Kiyra smiled wryly, almost wishing that her four Goats weren't pages. Then again, she knew that was selfish. Kiyra was proud of all of them, though.

* * *

Kiyra and Geoff were sitting in the common room of the Dancing Dove a week after Kiyra had visited her Goats. Both were sipping from tankards of ale and talking between sips. 

"King Jonathon said that he could increase our fund, but only by five percent. I know it's better than nothing, but still."

"Geoff, things will go better. The earthquake damage is almost repaired. Just wait." Kiyra assured him.

Geoff's eyes started to look mischievous, but he kept them focused right on Kiyra's eyes. She raised an eyebrow in confusion at him.

An arm wrapped around her neck and cut off her air supply. Kiyra panicked for a second, but calmed down when she saw that Geoff was doing nothing. If she had been in trouble, Geoff would have helped. Kiyra relaxed and the arm loosened. She whipped around to see who it was.

"Tyrell, you little monster." Kiyra greeted him. "Finn, Toady, and Merci? What are you all doing here?" They were dressed in simple breeches and cotton shirts.

"We took the passage." Toady explained. "It's not allowed, but if we don't get caught…"

"We brought someone we want you to meet." Merci moved aside to reveal another page.

Back in January of last year, the Goats had spied on the pages as they were training. Lars had cheered when a younger boy had bested an older boy. The page that stood before them was that younger boy.

"I'm Hashim of the Bloody Hawk." He said, a little nervously and quietly. The second-year was about Finn's height and had long shanks of black hair.

"His mother was taught by the Lioness." Merci supplied. "Her name was Kara."

"The Lioness stayed with his tribe for almost a year after she was made a knight." Toady bragged for his friend. Hashim ducked his head with embarrassment.

"Hashim sponsored me." Finn looked thankfully at the page. "No one else would, 'cause of my dark skin. Most of the open-minded pages already took them three."

"Thanks." Kiyra told the boy. "I appreciate it."

"Fianola and Johanna took me and Merci." Toady said. "Jasson took Tyrell."

Kiyra had heard of the two fourth-year girls and the third-year prince. She was proud that her Goats had been taken by such as them. Hashim seemed like a good type, too.

"They had punishment work AND schoolwork to do tonight, so they couldn't come." Tyrell explained.

"Oh." Merci remember her manners. "This is Kiyra and this is Geoff."

"It's nice to meet you, Hashim." Geoff offered.

The page's eyes were wide. "You're the Rogue Majesty!"

Geoff's eyes twinkled. "Call me Geoff. Any friend of the Goats is a friend of mine. Any of you want a drink? Lemonade? Ale?"

"Randy!" Kiyra called out to the bartender. "We need two lemonades and two ales over here! Thanks!"

Once the four pages were sitting with their drinks, Kiyra and Geoff proceeded to quiz them about their lessons and weapons training. They treated Hashim like one of the Goats and he began to feel comfortable.

"Hey, look!" Toady shouted in the middle of Finn describing the palace food. "It's Cart!"

Cart had entered the Dove's door and was heading straight for Geoff's usual table. "Anna is sleeping through the night now!"

Kiyra and Merci were familiar with Anna's fussiness and both cheered. Geoff looked grateful, because being Cart's best friend, he had heard numerous complaints about it.

"So Anna sleeps through the night and you come to celebrate?" Tyrell teased.

"Yep." Cart said proudly. Kiyra rolled her eyes.

"So, how's Julie then?" Geoff asked.

"Catching up on lost rest." The redheaded father grabbed a pint and chugged it. Hashim looked impressed.

"Cart can sure hold his ale." Tyrell told Hashim.

"I guess so." The newcomer's eyes were wide at the racket and bright colors of the Dove.

"Don't you pages need to be up with the sun?" Cart asked. The Goats ignored him.

"Where are Rye and Emma and Dann and Wren?" Merci searched the common room with her eyes.

"They're in the Hovel." Kiyra informed her.

"Can I go get them?" Toady jumped off of his chair and raced off without waiting for an answer.

Within minutes, the four sleepy-eyed Goats stumbled into the room, followed by Toady.

"Hashim, this is Rye and Emma." Tyrell began the introductions.

"They're twins." Merci added.

"I think I could tell." Hashim said with mirth. Rye and Emma had the same olive skin and dark curly hair. The only differences between them were the hair length and Rye looked manlier.

"Wren is that one and Dann's the little guy." Finn smirked as Dann scowled at the 'little' in front of his name.

"This is Hashim." Tyrell pointed to him. "He's a page with us."

"Pleasure." Hashim said. "So all of you are the Goats?"

"Lars is at sea." Dann reminded them.

Emma looked at the ground. "Cole died this July."

Hashim looked awkward. "I'm sorry."

"He killed the one who did it first." Finn said with cold fury.

Kiyra knew that they needed to think of lighter things. "Remember when Cole glued Geoff's britches to his bench?"

Tyrell grinned. "That was back when Geoff was just a little pick."

"Geoff had to climb out of his pants to escape." Cart gloated at Geoff's reddened face.

"Well, remember the time that I smoked out the outhouse while you were in it?" Geoff asked Cart.

Kiyra bent over with laughter. "Cart ran out in a flash and tripped on his britches, which were still around his ankles!"

"Oh, yah?" Cart challenged. "Remember the time that you got caught for stealing that rock and going to the temple?"

Kiyra knew where this was going. "Cart…" She warned.

Tyrell finished where Cart had left off. "And Geoff kissed you in front of everybody?"

"Yah, but that time…"

* * *

Kiyra whistled as she climbed the stairs to Geoff's room. Geoff used his room as an office, so that was usually where he could be found when he was working on the Rogue. 

Kiyra rapped sharply on his door and waited for a reply. She narrowed her eyes, hearing voices inside. They paused when they heard the knock.

"Kiyra, come in!" Geoff called. Kiyra pushed the door open, curious to see who Geoff was talking to.

No one else was in the room.

"Who were you talking to?" Kiyra asked, peering around every corner.

"Never mind that." Geoff smiled at her. Kiyra frowned at him and checked the window. It was open and the curtains were blowing in the breeze.

"Did he leave from there?" Kiyra wondered.

"That's for me to know and you to never find out." Geoff teased Kiyra, who glared at him. "Did you need something?"

"Yes. Something strange happened down at the Market district this morning. Rye was there and he told me that a little street kid blew up a stall. The funny thing was, the kid wasn't any older than Dann, probably lots younger. Rye said that he got caught stealing meat pies and panicked. The shop owner wasn't outside the stall, grabbing the boy's arm, or else he would have burned with his stall."

Geoff sat silent for a moment. "I've heard already."

"What should we do?" Kiyra asked. "I mean, he obviously needs some help, but Rye tried finding him and the kid had disappeared."

"What do you want me to do?" Geoff looked thoughtful.

"I think we should find him." Kiyra said finally. "Not only does he need some training and probably a place to stay, but if he gets into the wrong hands…"

"I like the way she thinks." A voice behind Kiyra caused her to whirl in surprise and fright.

It was a man, about as tall as Kiyra, with white and gray hair and beard. He wore simple breeches and a tunic, but wore lots of gaudy jewelry. Kiyra recognized him as the man who she had seen after Anna had been born. Once again, she got the feeling that she had seen him before, and not just that time.

"What…how…" Kiyra blurted.

The man laughed at her confusion, but soon got control of himself. "You're right. You need to find this boy. His name is Demi. Don't forget that, or your job will be harder."

Kiyra snorted indignantly. "So, you're giving me a job? I don't even know you. I don't have to do what you say."

The man chuckled. "Do what you wish. But believe me, it will backfire on you."

"How can you tell?" Kiyra asked scornfully. "Are you some kind of mage or fortune-teller?"

The man's laughter grew louder. "You could say that."

Kiyra turned to look at Geoff. "Is this what you want me to do?"

"You better do what he says." Geoff smirked.

Kiyra scowled and turned back to the man.

He was gone.

Kiyra turned around again.

"Geoff, I'm not doing this 'cause he told me to. I'm _not. _I'm doing it because you told me to. _Really._ Oh, do shut up."

* * *

"Shouldn't we stop looking now?" Wren asked. "He's nowhere and it's getting dark." 

Kiyra paused. "I think that we should keep going. That man had seemed kind of important. I should probably listen to him."

"What if a bad guy gets him?" Dann demanded. "Will he get hurt?"

"Yes." Kiyra said. "That's why we have to keep going."

"Kiyra!" Emma ran towards her. "A pick told me and Rye that there was a boy living in an old warehouse."

"Where's Rye?" Kiyra asked.

"He went ahead." Emma looked stunned as she realized what he had done.

A shout and the smell of smoke caught their attention. Kiyra tore off in the direction of the sound, with Emma, Wren, and Dann close behind.

"Rye!" Kiyra screamed. She found the warehouse easily enough, damaged and with a thin trail of black smoke pouring out a broken window. Kiyra whipped open the door.

Rye had backed up into the wall and a boy was standing before him. Flames were licking the boy's hands, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Demi!" Kiyra shouted. "Stop that right now!"

Demi backed off and the flames disappeared. Kiyra knelt and gestured to the boy. He walked up cautiously. Kiyra gently put her hands on his shoulders.

Demi looked to be about three years old. The boy had tight, wiry blond curls and plaintive blue eyes. He was pale and smudged with soot. He was wearing tattered clothes and was barefoot.

"We want to help you." Kiyra explained with a kind smile. "No one's going to hurt you now."

"Are you her?" Demi asked in a clear, sweet voice. "Are you me mama?"

Kiyra blinked in shock and was speechless.

"You look like the one in my dreams. _He _said you was." Demi's face pleaded for her to agree with him.

"Yes. I am your mother." Kiyra followed her feelings.

Demi smiled widely and Kiyra pulled him towards her in a hug. She stood, still holding him. He rested his head on her shoulder.

Rye, Emma, Wren, and Dann were frozen still. "Does Geoff know?" Rye asked in a scandalized voice.

"Geoff's the father." Kiyra joked. Rye's jaw dropped even further. "C'mon, let's go home."

* * *

"Geoff!" Kiyra knocked on his door. "Open the door!" 

Geoff pulled the door open and his eyes widened when he saw the sleeping boy. Kiyra walked in and carefully set Demi down on the bed. Geoff closed the door so that they could talk privately.

"You found him." Geoff sounded surprised.

"Geoff, he's convinced that I'm his mother. I guess he saw me in a dream, but how could that be?"

Geoff thought for a minute, then burst out into laughter. Kiyra pouted.

"Let's just say that the mage probably sent him those dreams. He would think of it as a joke."

"But it's not funny!" Kiyra protested. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I think that you'd make a good mother." Geoff teased.

"I can't be a mother! I'm not even sixteen yet!"

"I'm sure you'll manage." Geoff turned away, choking back his guffaws.

"That's not fair." Kiyra said petulantly.

All further conversation was cut off when Demi stirred and opened his eyes.

"Mama, who's that?"

Kiyra smiled impishly. "This is your Da." Geoff softly groaned.

"I got a da, too?"

"You _have_ a da." Kiyra looked at Geoff to see how he was taking her joke.

Geoff plopped down on the bed next to his 'son.' "Demi, do you want to learn to throw knives?"

Kiyra gasped and put her hands on her hips. "He's only three! Can't you wait a year or two?"

"I'm big." Demi said proudly. "I'll learn."

"You always worry to much." Geoff teased Kiyra.

"I do not! Fine, teach him. I hope he throws the knife into your head."

**Next chapter will include the entrance of Kiyra's family and clear the air there. Can****'t anyone guess who the mage-man is? **


	10. Buried September 464

**Disclaimer - Plot belongs to me, OCs belong to me, world belongs to TP. **

**I hope you like this one. I had been building up and thinking of this scene since I started the fanfic. **

**CHAPTER 10 – September - Buried  
**

Kiyra woke up early. It was the first day that Demi had been here, not counting last night. Kiyra shifted onto her side and looked at Demi, who was lying next to her. She got up and stretched, waking her little boy up in the process.

"Mama, where you going?"

"I'm just going downstairs for breakfast. Come with me." Kiyra lifted Demi up into her arms and left the room.

The common room was unnaturally full of picks, including the Dove's and the Goats. There were more from other taverns and bars. They were silent, not loud as they usually were.

"This is the boy then?" A boy a couple years younger than Kiyra asked. "The mage?"

Demi held tight to Kiyra and didn't say anything.

"Yes. This is him." Kiyra answered.

"Canna we see him do some magi?" Asked a foreign-looking pick.

"No!" Geoff said from his seat by the hearth. The picks sobered to hear him speak so firmly. "An untrained mage could blow us all up. One so young and powerful could probably blow the whole street up. I'd advise all of you to not bother or scare Demi."

Kiyra had never seen the Dove empty out so fast. Only the Goats were left.

"Are they scared of me?" Demi questioned.

"They're scared of what you can do." Kiyra explained.

"We need to find you a teacher. I have one in mind." Geoff said.

"Will he teach me my gift?" Demi reached for some porridge on the counter and Kiyra got him a spoon. Kiyra sat down at a table and pulled Demi onto her lap. The Goats clustered around Demi.

"Hi, Demi!" Emma said. "I'm Emma."

Demi looked at her soberly.

"I'm Rye." The boy offered. "Me and Emma are twins. We were born at the exact same time."

Demi still didn't say anything, but the beginnings of a grin appeared.

"I'm Dann and I'm seven."

"I'm Wren." Wren said simply.

"Is Demi a Goat?" Dann asked.

"I'm not a Goat! I'm a boy." Demi scowled.

"We're all Goats here, except your Papa." Rye laughed at Geoff's expression.

"The Goats are like a gang, only we make things better, not worse. We help people." Dann said importantly.

Demi looked up at Kiyra. "Can I be a Goat, Mama?" He looked confused when the four children cracked up at Kiyra's new name.

Kiyra looked at Geoff, who nodded. "Yes, Demi."

"I already had the necklace made for you." Geoff said.

"Only girls wear necklaces." Demi wrinkled up his nose.

"Not us!" Rye proclaimed. "Out with it, Dann! Show him yours too."

Kiyra, Rye, Emma, Wren, and Dann all pulled out their Goat necklaces and showed Demi.

"Tyrell, Lars, Finn, Merci, and Toady all have one. Cole was buried in his." Rye said matter-of-factly.

Demi inspected the little goat on the gold chain. "I want one. If it isn't just a girl thing."

Geoff pulled a Goat necklace out of his pocket. "Whenever you get into trouble, the necklace calls all the Goats to you. I have one, too."

"Thanks, Da." Demi slid the chain over his head and tucked the goat into his shirt.

Kiyra winced. "We need to get you cleaned up."

"I'm clean." Demi protested. "I don't want a bath."

"You need new clothes." Kiyra decided. "And a bath." She said firmly.

"Can I get a cape?" Demi bounced in Kyira's lap with excitement.

"We'll see how you behave." Kiyra promised, sending her companions into peals of laughter.

"You sound….just like an…old wifey!" Geoff gasped out.

Demi was done with his porridge, so Kiyra stood up in a huff. "Maybe I am an old wifey. Come along, Demi."

Outside the Dove, Kiyra counted the coins that she had saved from helping Lalasa in the shop.

"Alright, let's get you some clothes." Kiyra set Demi down on the ground, painfully aware of his bare feet.

"I want a cape and a vest like Da's. I want blue things. Blue is my favorite color." Demi slipped his hand inside Kiyra's and she smiled.

"If I have enough." Kiyra agreed.

* * *

At the end of their shopping, Demi would have been dressed like a little prince, at least in the Rogue. 

There was one pair of blue knee-length cotton breeches and a long black woolen pair. Kiyra had bought him two long-sleeved, white cotton shirts with collars and a sleeveless gray shirt. She couldn't forget five new loincloths, two pairs of woolen stockings and two pairs of silk stockings. She bought him a white and blue striped nightshirt and a thick, black woolen coat that went halfway down his thighs and had a belt around the waist.

For shoes, Kiyra had got a pair of soft-soled shoes that didn't cover his ankle for special occasions and a pair of calf length boots for the winter. She figured that Demi would want to go barefoot during the summer like most of the boys his age in the Rogue.

"Mama, I really want the cape and vest. Please. I'll be a good boy for the rest of my life." Demi pleaded.

Kiyra slipped her hand in her pocket and examined her coins. "Demi, I'm really sorry but I don't have enough money. I could buy you a cheap one, but it wouldn't be good quality."

Demi's face fell. Kiyra's heart went with it.

"Listen, when's your birthday?"

Demi looked at her blankly.

"When were you born?"

"I'm three." Demi answered.

Kiyra guessed that he didn't know his birthday, like most of the street kids.

"A birthday is the day that you were born. Mine is next month. When do you want yours to be?"

Demi thought for a minute. "I want us to have the same!"

"Right then. For your birthday, I promise I'll buy you the best cape in Corus."

"I can wait a month." Demi consented.

Kiyra hugged him. "Now, time for that bath and then we're going to see Aunt Lalasa."

"I have an aunt?"

"Yes. Do you want to meet her?"

"Is she nice?" Demi asked worriedly.

"Oh, very nice."

"I want to see her." Demi was swinging Kiyra's arm as they walked.

"We're almost back to the Dove. If you can take a quick bath, then we'll walk over to Aunt Lalasa's before lunch."

"I'll hurry." Demi said. "I want to wear my new clothes. Can I, please?"

"Of course. Here we are." Kiyra and Demi walked up the Dove's steps and into the Dove.

Geoff was in his place by the fire. "Did you get your cape?"

"No, Da. Mama didn't have enough. My birthday's next month." Demi clambered onto Geoff's lap.

"Do you want to see what I got him?" Kiyra set the clothes down on the table.

"I actually have to leave now." Geoff said, standing up, holding Demi. "I was just waiting for you."

"Why?" Kiyra asked.

"You know I have the Rogue in Port Caynn, too. I have to go there for a bit."

Kiyra stood stunned. "For how long?"

"At least a month, maybe two." Geoff looked a little sad. "I'm sorry, Kiyra. I'll hurry back. Can you keep out of trouble?"

"I'll try." Kiyra forced a smile. "What about you?"

"I'll try." Geoff hugged her. "Be good. Take care of Demi. You know where I keep my money. Buy something good for Demi from me. Oh, and you need to meet Demi's new teacher at the Dove tonight at six."

"I will." Kiyra looked down at Demi. "Say goodbye to your Da."

"Bye, Da." Demi squeezed Geoff tight around the neck.

"Bye, son." Geoff set Demi down. "Take care of your ma."

"I will." Demi stood importantly.

Geoff kissed Kiyra softly and sweetly. "Bye."

And then he was gone.

"Why are you crying, Mama?" Demi asked Kiyra.

"Da's gone away."

"He'll be back, won't he?"

"Of course." Kiyra held Demi's hand. "Now for that bath."

"Then Aunt Lalasa?'

"Yes." Kiyra led Demi to Geoff's room. Geoff had a bath waiting, to save Kiyra the work. It was still warm.

Kiyra helped Demi take off his raggedy clothes and step into the bath. The water turned brown almost instantly. Demi laughed and splashed around. Kiyra grabbed a bar of soap and began scrubbing at his skin and hair.

Ten minutes later, the water was cold and Demi was clean.

"Can I get out?" Demi shivered.

Kiyra grabbed one of Geoff's blankets and helped the little boy step out. She wrapped the blanket around him.

When Demi was dried off, Kiyra helped him put on one of his new loincloths and his blue cotton knee breeches.

"It's not cold. I don't wanna wear a shirt." Demi complained.

"You have to wear a shirt." Kiyra picked up one of the long-sleeved ones, but remembered the fun of being a child in the Rogue. Half the fun was freedom of clothes.

"Well," Kiyra reasoned, "Can't you at least wear the sleeveless shirt? If you do, you won't have to wear shoes."

Demi nodded eagerly and slipped on the shirt without further complaint.

When Demi was dressed, Kiyra turned to the mirror. They looked like a proper mother and son.

Both Demi and Kiyra were clean. Demi was in new clothes. Kiyra was in her skirts now and wore breeches only half of the time. She usually wore breeches when she was out at night and when she was on Goat business. Demi's hair was carefully brushed, even though the wiry curls wouldn't straighten and looked cute anyway. Kiyra's hair was halfway down her back and carefully brushed.

"I wanna go see Aunt Lalasa now." Demi whined.

"I want to go." Kiyra said firmly. "And no whining. Goats don't whine."

"I want to go see Aunt Lalasa now." Demi tried again.

"Good." Kiyra said. "Let's go."

As Kiyra and Demi were walking, Demi saw a flower girl. "Can I buy some flowers, Mama?"

Kiyra handed him a coin. "Let her keep the change."

Demi skipped up to the sad-faced, young girl and handed her the coin. Kiyra couldn't hear what was being said, but she could see Demi chattering animatedly away. The flower girl's face broke into a smile as she handed Demi the flowers.

Demi skipped back and handed Kiyra half of the roses. "These are for you, Mama."

Kiyra bent down and kissed his forehead. "Thank you, Demi."

"The rest I'm saving to give to Aunt Lalasa. Is that alright?"

"Of course." Kiyra approved. "That's a very nice thing to do."

"Are we almost there?" Demi squeezed Kiyra's hand.

"Here actually." Kiyra entered the shop, pulling Demi behind her. The shop was bustling with activity, it being early afternoon.

"Where is she?" Demi asked.

"Hello, Kiyra!" Julie waved from behind the counter. "Did you come to work here today?"

"No, I can't today." Kiyra walked to her. "Actually, I've got a son."

Julie's jaw dropped a couple of inches and her eyes grew like saucers. "Kiyra…what…"

Kiyra laughed. "It's complicated. I'll explain later. But this is Demi."

Demi stepped forward. "Are you my Aunt Lalasa?"

Kiyra and Julie began to laugh. "No, this is your Aunt Julie."

Demi bowed, but then turned accusatorily to Kiyra. "You didn't tell me I had two aunts, Mama!"

"I know, I'm sorry." Kiyra tried to look apologetic.

"I brought you some flowers." Demi split Lalasa's bouquet in half and gave it to Julie.

"Thank you Demi." Julie smiled down at him. "Kiyra, he's a little charmer."

"Where's Lalasa? I wanted her to see him."

"She's in the back eating lunch." Julie said, then turned to a patiently waiting customer.

Kiyra walked to the back room. "Lalasa, you've got a nephew."

Lalasa's reaction was much like Julie's. "Kiyra, you're not pregnant, are you?"

Kiyra giggled. "No. This is Demi. He's my son." Kiyra winked at Lalasa, who got the message.

"Oh, he's adorable. Are these for me? Thank you."

"Isn't he sweet?" Kiyra said proudly.

"Adorable." Lalasa agreed.

"Well, I don't want to keep you from your lunch." Kiyra said. "Demi, do you want to learn how to fight today?"

"Kiyra, is it really a good idea…"

"Geoff was going to teach him how to throw knives. This is a much better alternative."

Demi recognized Geoff's name as his father. "Da's gone away and Mama was crying."

Lalasa looked worriedly at Kiyra, who flushed. "It was nothing. Just a month in Port Caynn to settle the Rogue there."

"Come over whenever you get to feeling lonely." Lalasa told her.

"I won't be lonely." Kiyra argued. "I've got my Goats, and Demi, and the Dove, and you and Julie."

Lalasa looked skeptically at Kiyra. "Friends don't make up for a love."

Kiyra blushed furiously. "I don't love him."

Demi stared at Kiyra. "You don't love Da? But you kissed him…"

Kiyra turned even a darker red. "Well, maybe a little bit."

The older woman just smiled and shook her head. "Kiyra, I've known you since you were a little one. Just keep out of trouble."

"I will." Kiyra promised. "Come along, Demi. We're keeping Aunt Lalasa from her work."

"Bye, Aunt Lalasa." Demi gave a little wave and stood up from where he had been sitting on the floor.

"See you, Lalasa." Kiyra led Demi out of the shop. "Now, Demi, have you ever heard of hand-to-hand combat?"

* * *

Kiyra looked impatiently at the Dove's door. The mage teacher for Demi was late. The little boy was swinging his feet on the bench and fidgeting. 

"Can I go play with Dann?" He begged.

"Wait for the teacher. After you've met him, you can play until bedtime."

A tall, redheaded noble walked into the Dove. Kiyra had never seen him before. She stood up, assuming that it was the new teacher. The redhead noticed and headed towards her.

He bowed when he reached her. "Thom at your service. Is this the boy I'm to teach?"

"Yes, sir." Kiyra replied automatically and curtsied. "I'm Kiyra, his mother. This is Demi."

Demi stood up on the bench and bowed.

"Geoff didn't tell me much about the boy's abilities. Can you explain to me what he can do?"

Kiyra bit her lip. "Blow up stuff. He blew up a food stall a couple days ago and made flames shoot at my friend when he scared him."

Thom nodded. "Most likely a fire mage then, but we'll have to see."

"How often are the lessons to be?" Kiyra asked.

"As often as possible until he learns control. Until then, keep him with you and make sure nothing frightens or angers him." Thom warned.

"He's usually pretty calm." Kiyra assured him. "But I'll be careful."

"I can teach him every day at six except for Sundays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. That will only continue until he can find his control."

"That sounds fine to me. What about you, Demi?"

Demi looked unconcerned. "Can I go play now?"

Thom and Kiyra both laughed. "Run along." Kiyra swung him down from the bench.

"I'll be leaving then." Thom said with another bow.

"Thanks so much for teaching him. As for payment, Geoff's gone now…"

"Payment is not an issue." Thom said and turned.

"Wait, aren't you Lady Alanna's son?"

Thom smiled. "Branded for life."

Kiyra laughed. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright."

After Thom had left, Kiyra sat down near Geoff's empty 'throne' with a mug of ale. Some of Geoff's most loyal companions set around there. Kiyra listened to the stories and jokes they told.

After a particularly funny story about Geoff when he was just a boy, Kiyra swished the rest of her ale down and called to Randy for another.

Randy didn't come, so Kiyra turned to look at the counter. Randy was talking to a young boy, about twelve years old.

Then the boy turned and their eyes met. A flash of recognition passed between them.

Kiyra let out a string of curses and even the coarse Rogue around her were awed.

Kiyra slammed her empty mug down and stood up stiffly. The boy weaved his way across the room to meet her.

"Kiyra!" He said excitedly.

"Jonny, what are you doing here?" Kiyra said harshly and he looked hurt.

"I came to find you." His voice was equally stony.

"Why?"

"Cause you abandoned all of us without even caring about us."

Kiyra swore again. "I did not! By Mithras, I sent you money every day of my time in the Rogue."

"It's not like it ever got to us." Jonny sneered. "You didn't care enough to make sure that Mother used it on us."

Kiyra was about to shoot a reply back, but his remark hit home. "You mean…she didn't buy food and clothes and stuff?"

Jonny had also calmed down. "Just drugs and drink."

"I'm sorry, Jonny, I never thought." Kiyra shook her head in anger and fury.

"So this is where you live?" Jonny looked around.

"Yes, upstairs, actually."

"Are the stories true?" Jonny's eyes were wide upon. "The ones about the Goats and the Court and the Dominion Jewel? Did you really start the huge brawl two years ago and talk to the King and Queen?"

Kiyra grinned. "Yah."

"Did you really meet the Lioness and go to the dungeons?"

"Yes." Kiyra grinned even wider.

Demi chose that moment to run to Kiyra. "Mama, Rye told me I had to ask you if I could go on the roof with them."

Jonny's jaw dropped. "You have a son? Kiyra, you're only fifteen years old!"

Kiyra didn't feel like telling him the way of coming about Demi. "Yep. He'll be three next month."

"Who's this?" Demi asked.

"This is your Uncle Jonny. He's my little brother."

"Two aunts and one uncle." Demi giggled. "So can I go?"

"Sure." Kiyra said. "Be careful not to fall."

"The kids are asking about you." Jonny said unexpectedly. "Those that remember."

"How are they?" Kiyra asked.

"Hungry. Cold. Sick. They're okay though."

"I'll give you some money. Buy food and clothes, don't even give it to her."

Kiyra wanted to ask Jonny if the kids could come and live at the Dove, but she didn't want them to end up like her. The boys would probably be thieves, and the girls either thieves or prostitutes. She wanted them to end up respectable.

"Thanks Kiyra. Can't you even come and visit?"

Kiyra shook her head immediately. "I don't belong there anymore. Haven't been there for years. Leave the dead buried."

"We're not buried!" Jonny defended.

"I know." Kiyra sighed. "Listen, take that to the kids, but don't hang around here. I don't want you turning out a thief."

Jonny nodded and headed out.

"He doesn't really look like you." A nearby man commented. He was near enough to have heard the whole conversation.

It was true. While Kiyra had light brown-blond hair and blue-green eyes, Jonny had darker hair and brown eyes. Their faces looked almost nothing like each other either.

"Different fathers." Kiyra replied. "One for every child."

The men laughed at her joke, but they knew the truth of it.

Kiyra returned to her ale, more moodily than before.

* * *

Someone was shaking her. Kiyra shoved them away and rolled over. 

"Kiyra, Kiyra, your brother's here! Get up now!"

"Rye, why'd you have to wake me up?" Kiyra mumbled.

"Jonny's here and he needs help!"

Kiyra was up and out of her bunk in an instant. "Where is he?"

"In the common room! Hurry!"

Kiyra ran into the common room, tugging on a pair of breeches and strapping on her dirk as she went. Coming into a rowdy bar with only a huge shirt wasn't a good idea and she might need her weapon.

Jonny was beaten. His face was bloodied and bruised. It was a startling change from what he had looked like three nights before.

"Jon, what happened?" Kiyra grabbed his shoulders.

"Ma's got a new man and they found out about the money you gave us." Jonny scrunched up his face to keep from crying.

"Take me there." Kiyra said simply. "Rye, get us a horse." The boy took off at a run.

"I'm worried for the kids." Jonny babbled. "I didn't want to leave them, but I wanted to get you, now that I knew where you were. What else could I do?"

"You did right, Jonny. Everything is going to be fine. Rye's probably got the horse ready by now."

The Dove had a stable with a couple horses for the Rogue Majesty's use. Rye had chosen the biggest and fastest horse. Kiyra leaped on it and pulled Jonny up behind her.

"Thanks Rye. Watch Demi." Those were Kiyra's last words as she kicked the horse's sides.

Kiyra knew the way back to her house, but Jonny knew the shortcuts. They pounded through the alleys and streets as if the Black God was chasing them.

After about seven minutes, they reached the building.

"Hurry." Kiyra flung open the door and began charging up the steps, Jon not far behind. Four flights up, Kiyra stopped at a door that she knew all too well. Taking a deep breath, she pushed on the door.

Instantly, the sound of children crying was combined with the sound of hits and shouts. Kiyra almost plunged in, but years of caution and experience with the Rogue reminded her to keep low. She padded to the sounds, not seeing anyone on her way. Jonny had followed her lead.

The noise came from one of the three rooms of her family's in the building. Kiyra ground her teeth and barged in.

Instantly she sized up the situation. A big man was pummeling a young boy, her brother Kiyra realized, into a wall. A group of children were huddled on a rickety bed, opposite a woman watching the proceedings with mild interest.

"Stop!" Kiyra shouted at the top of her lungs. Eight heads turned her way.

"What, some trollop can think she can tell us what to do in our own house?" The big man was drunk and his words were slurred. Jonny slipped behind Kiyra and sat on the bed. Kiyra knew that he trusted her to fix things.

"Leave my brothers and sisters alone." Kiyra firmly.

"Aw, so you're the queenie the babes are always whining about. Kiyra will come and Kiyra this and Kiyra that." The man grinned meanly. The boy he had been beating scrambled over to the other children and the man made a snatch for him.

"Don't touch him!" Kiyra warned.

"Who's going to stop me?" The man said sarcastically and came for her.

Kiyra weaved to avoid the swing and gave the man an uppercut to the chin. He reached for the first thing that came to him, which was a broken leg of a chair. Too fast for Kiyra to react, he swung the makeshift club at her side.

Kiyra gasped and wheezed on the floor. The man brought up the club for one last fatal strike, and Kiyra remembered her Shang training.

She rolled out of the way and drew her dirk in one swift movement. When she rolled onto her feet, she crouched like a cat.

The man was drunk and didn't draw back. Instead, he chopped at her neck and grabbed for her arm. Kiyra dodged the grab and slashed at the club. The club broke into pieces and fell to the floor. Without thinking, Kiyra buried her dirk in the man's chest and pulled it out again. He crumpled to the ground.

Kiyra strode over to her mother. "How could you let a man like that in your house?"

Her mother stared at what had been the man and did not say anything.

In disgust and hatred, Kiyra backhanded the woman. Her mother fell back unto the bed and Kiyra left her there.

Turning to her brothers and sisters, Kiyra saw fear on the younger ones and satisfaction on the older children.

"Are you really Kiyra?" The beaten boy asked. He looked like Kiyra. He had the same eyes, hair, and nose. Kiyra knew that he was Luth and about eight or nine.

"Yes." Kiyra replied.

A girl a bit younger than Jonny with a Bazhir look about her looked worriedly at the dead man. "He's with the Provost. They come over most nights."

"Let's get you out of here then, Mattie. Come on, all of you. We have to get to the Dove."

"Is that where you live?" A little boy asked and Kiyra nodded.

"Are you Dinny?" Kiyra smiled. He smiled widely. The last time Kiyra had seen him was when he had been a baby.

"This is Lamie," Jonny pointed to a young girl and then to the two youngest kids, who looked to be about three and two. "That's Allan and the baby's Sadie."

"Hi," Kiyra said awkwardly. "It's good to see all of you."

"I think we should leave now." Mattie said urgently. "I really do."

"Alright." Kiyra said. "Jonny, get anything important or any money. Mattie, help me get the kids together."

Kiyra picked up Allan and grabbed Lamie's hand. Mattie picked up Sadie and looked worriedly out the window. Dinny clutched at Mattie and shifted on his feet. Luth helped Jonny get some clothes and stuff together.

"They're here." Mattie turned around. "Kiyra, what do we do?"

Kiyra heard the door of the building slam and loud footsteps. "Jonny! Get the kids out of here! Now!"

"What about you?" Jonny grabbed Allan and yanked on Lamie.

"I'll stay. I'll take care of it. Just go!" Kiyra shoved them out the door. "Go upstairs. Go as high as you can. Find someone of the Rogue and tell them Kiyra says get them to the Dove. Tell someone there that they need to find Julie. Get Julie to take you to Lalasa. Got that?" She was shoving them out the door.

"Up, Rogue, Dove, Julie, and Lalasa." Jonny repeated. He and Mattie herded the children up the stairs. Kiyra breathed a sigh of relief and turned around.

Luth still stood in the room and stared at her.

"Luth, go!"

"I'll stay." Luth said. "I can tell them that he was beating me. They'll hang you if I don't."

"Ma can tell them that." Kiyra looked over to the still form on the bed.

"She's dead. I checked." Luth said without feeling.

Kiyra looked at her mother in horror. "I didn't mean to kill her." She whimpered.

Luth ran up to her and hugged her around the waist. "Thank you for helping us. I stay with you."

"Luth, please, just go! Now!" The footsteps were coming closer.

"Come with me then."

"I can't. They'll think it was you and find you. It was me. GO!" The footsteps were on their hallway now.

"No!" Luth said stubbornly. "I stay."

Kiyra shoved Luth under the bed just when the door opened.

"What is this?" Asked a man in the uniform of the guard. Kiyra thanked the gods that he was not drunk.

"You killed Bruts! And his woman!" Another man looked angrily at Kiyra and her bloody dirk that was in her sheath.

"Yes." Kiyra said. "I did."

Luth rolled out from under the bed. "I helped. It was me, too."

Kiyra bit her lip and silently cursed his stupidity.

"Arrest me." Kiyra said. "Let him go. All he did was shove the man."

"I hit her on the head with a board." Luth lied.

"He shoved the man!"

"I killed my mother!"

"You're both under arrest!" Yelled the first soldier who had talked. "Hand over your dirk."

Kiyra unbuckled the belt that held her dirk. "This better get to Baron George or the king will know why."

"Yah!" Luth added.

The men tied their hands behind their backs. "It's the dungeons for you." One said with a snicker.

"Been there, done that." Kiyra bragged.

"Dungeons are nothing to here." Luth said with confidence.

"Shut up." The guard said. "You'll have fun, trust me."

Kiyra 16  
Jonny 12  
Mattie 11  
Luth 8  
Dinny6  
Lamie5  
Allan3  
Sadie2

**If you liked it, review and tell me! The next chapter is going to be even better.**


	11. Remember November 464

**I think this is a good chapter. I had writers' block for a third of it, so if it's not as good as it could be, I'm sorry. I still think it's good.  
**

**CHAPTER 11 – November – Remember  
**

Kiyra rolled over listlessly on the dirty straw, stopping when she hit Luth. It had been almost three weeks since they had brought here. Since then, they had not left the cell. A guard brought their food and changed their chamber pot. For the first week or two, Kiyra had taught Luth to fight unarmed in their cramped quarters. Luth had learned fast, practicing even when Kiyra wanted a break. They had become too weak though, and had only sat up and talked.

"Can you tell me a story?" Luth rasped.

"About what? I've already told you about meeting Geoff, Cart, and Julie. I've told you everything up until when you started to hear the stories about me."

"They were rumors." Luth coughed. "I want to hear the truth."

"It started when I was stealing on Market Day, almost two years ago. I saw the Baron George and his full belt pouch. I had to steal it. I pretended to knock into him, and got his pouch."

"Was it full of gold?" Luth asked, eyes wide.

"That's what I thought. I opened it though, and a rock was in it."

"Why would he carry around a rock?"

"That's what I thought. So I kept it. Later, me, Geoff, Cart, Julie, Merci, and Toady tried to figure out what it was. Bam! There was a flash of magic and the stone was opened. Inside was a piece of paper that said to go to the Temple of the Goddess."

"Did you go?"

"Geoff didn't want me to. He said it was too dangerous. He and Cart had to tie me to my bed, but I got out of it. I barged right in, and got captured."

Luth laughed. "That wasn't smart."

"No, it wasn't. I had a little talk with the Baron George, who threatened me with dangerous torture before I would tell him anything." Kiyra failed to add that the torture weapons were really face paint tools. "I told him only about myself though. Nothing that would incriminate my friends. That's the unspoken rule of the Rogue. Tell on no one."

"I'll remember." Luth said.

"So then I spent three days in the dungeon and went home and that was that."

"A street kid told me that Geoff was mad at you and then he kissed you."

"Something like that." Kiyra hid a grin.

"What happened next?"

"Save the stories. I don't have much more of them and we'll be here a while yet."

"When are we getting out?"

"I don't know, Luth. I told you to leave. That's what you should have done."

"I said I would stay. It's not like we could change it now."

"I know, I know. I just miss Demi."

"Is he your real son?"

"No, adopted. He thinks I'm his real mother though. I miss the Goats and Geoff too."

"You'll see them again." Luth assured her. "Are they going to hang us?"

Kiyra started to laugh at his attempt to cheer her up, but at his serious face, she stopped. "If anything, they'll hang me. You didn't do anything."

"I'll say I did."

"But you didn't."

"Whatever." Luth frowned, but smiled again. "We can weasel our way out of anything."

Kiyra sighed then, lost in her own thoughts. "I miss them."

"Who's them?"

"Oh, everyone." Kiyra squinted to hold back the tears. "Demi, the Goats, Lalasa….Geoff."

"Don't worry." Luth slipped his small hand in Kiyra's. "Geoff will get us soon."

"I know." Kiyra said and cleared her throat. "Do you want to hear about the time I started the brawl?"

"I never lost hope, you know." Luth said. Kiyra sat up to look at him.

"Come again?"

"I never stopped believing that you'd come back. Mattie thought you wouldn't and Jonny kept telling me you'd forgotten. Do you remember when I was just a kid and you told me stories?"

Kiyra smiled. "You must have only been four."

"I can remember some of them that you told." Luth grinned. "Most of them involved the Lioness. Things got a lot worse after you left."

"Jonny told me that Ma used the money for drugs."

"She died. Sometimes she gave us some money, but sometimes we had to beg. And then when she brought men home, they'd beat us. Once one wouldn't leave Mattie alone. Nothing _happened _but she was so scared. When Ma got pregnant, she couldn't get out of bed. I guess it made her sick. Mattie took care of her and helped with the birthing. Jonny told me you helped with mine."

"I did. I can still remember. That was the first time I'd delivered a baby alone. It was snowing out and the woman Ma had to help her wasn't in her house. I just did what I had seen the midwife do and hoped for the best. You were born easy. Your eyes were the clearest, lightest blue and you cried the whole night. I didn't get any sleep at all. Jonny and Mattie slept through the whole thing and were so surprised when they found a baby in the morning. The midwife came to check up on Ma and I told her that there wouldn't be a need for a midwife anymore."

Luth laughed. "But my eyes are sort of greenish now, like yours."

"Babies most often have blue eyes. Then they change."

"Oh. Did you teach Mattie how to deliver babies?"

"Maybe. I don't know, I guess she watched and learned for herself. I should have come back for all of you. I should have known that everything wasn't good."

"Why didn't you?" Luth asked.

"I don't know. I hated Ma, but I loved her at the same time. There were times when I felt like her daughter and wanted to be with her. Then there were times when she hit me and I felt like killing her. I just wanted to turn my back and forget. Now I wish I hadn't, for you and the others."

"I think I reminded her of you." Luth said. "She hit the others, sometimes. She never hit me, not since you left. I stole some of Ma's drug once and tried to sell it. I guess I was too little and another street kid stole it away. I didn't get anything for it, except a black eye. Ma must've known it was me, but she didn't hurt me. She let the men hit me though. They hit me a lot, 'cause it took a lot to make me cry. Except for Jonny, the others cried right away. Jonny was like me, only he was older, so I guess it wasn't as much fun to beat him around."

"I'm sorry." Kiyra didn't know what to say.

"It's alright."

"Ma fed us when I was there. Well, she was sick a bit, so I took care of the money, which there wasn't much of. I would buy the food, but she'd give me the money. When she didn't give us money, I'd beg too. I didn't have to beg that often. I had a friend and I used to pretend that she was my mother. Now she's more like a sister though."

"Ma didn't like that we listened to the stories about you. She got mad when we told them to the younger children. She told us that the stories were lies. I guess some of them were. I knew a pick and he said he'd met you once. I got the best stories from him. I caught Ma listening to me tell the stories once. I think she missed you."

Kiyra started to sob. Luth stared at her in alarm.

"I wish I hadn't hit her so hard. I was so angry, but maybe we could've patched things up a bit. Maybe she could've been proud of me."

Luth patted her back awkwardly. "Don't worry about it. Maybe she did miss you, but she didn't care enough."

"I know, but I didn't care enough either." Kiyra sobbed out. "I was as bad as her."

"You never used drugs!" Luth said, hoping it was true.

"No, but I still didn't care enough about her. And now I killed her."

"C'mon, Kiyra, stop crying. Forget about it. It doesn't matter anymore."

"I killed my own mother."

"You didn't mean to." Luth hugged Kiyra. "I told you, forget about it. She would've let her own children starve and get beat to death. Forget about her."

Kiyra wiped her tears away. "I know. I still feel bad about it. I should've…"

"But you didn't. Live with the way things are now."

"I should be the one comforting you." Kiyra laughed quietly.

"Aw, but I bet I'm much better at it than you are." Luth teased.

Kiyra softly cuffed him.

Kiyra began to lose track of time after that. Days passed without event and sometimes she and Luth didn't talk once for days. Most of the time they lay so still that they appeared dead. They only moved for the food and for the chamber pot. Sometimes Kiyra thought that she had died, and just hadn't realized it.

Kiyra went for the food one day and Luth didn't move with her.

"Luth?" Kiyra whispered and he didn't stir. "Luth!"

Kiyra scrambled over to him, as well as her stiff limbs could move. She bent down to listen to his heart and was relieved to hear a weak beat. She pulled him onto her lap and hand fed him. She had to rub his throat to get him to swallow. She took the smaller portion that day.

One day, when Kiyra was asleep, Luth disappeared from the cell. The guard couldn't tell her what happened to him, even though Kiyra begged and pleaded with him. Kiyra knew the worst had happened.

Kiyra woke up from a nightmare to see Geoff kneeling beside the cell. She thought he was another hallucination.

"Kiyra can't I leave you alone for more than a day without you getting into trouble? You promised me."

Geoff's eyes were bright with unshed tears when he looked at the filthy and sick Kiyra.

"I tried, really." Kiyra's voice was a rasp. "I don't think."

"I know." Geoff slid his arms through the bars and tried to reach Kiyra. She pushed herself closer, using her arms. Geoff pulled her as close to him as the bars would allow.

"I'm scared." Kiyra admitted. "Will they hang me?"

"I wouldn't have let them." Geoff said fiercely.

"But Geoff…" She looked sadly to the ground. "Where were you?"

"I was in Port Caynn. Like I said I would be."

Kiyra turned to look in Geoff's eyes. "Tell me the truth."

Geoff sighed. "I lied about going to Port Caynn. I had to go somewhere else, somewhere I couldn't tell anyone about. No one knew where to find me. By the time my friend got contact with me, two weeks had passed since you were put in prison."

"Can you tell me now?" Kiyra asked curiously.

"No." Geoff grinned. "Sorry."

"Right." Kiyra squeezed his hand.

"I got back here as soon as I could. Their Majesties have been really busy with foreign business and couldn't see me until last week. Then they had to find a loophole. Your brother told them the whole story."

"Luth?" Kiyra said hopefully.

"No, Jonny. They told me Luth was here with you."

"He was, but then he wasn't."

Geoff wiped the tears off of her face. "Don't worry. I'm sure we can find him."

"How's Demi?" Kiyra asked.

""He misses you a lot." Geoff hesitated. "He thinks you left him for good."

She winced visibly. "What'd you tell him?"

"That you were coming back. That you would never have left him. I think he believed me."

"Can I come with you now?" Kiyra said. "I want to come home so bad."

"I want you to come home, too. If you hadn't been locked up so many times already, their majesties could probably let you off easier. They have to follow the rules they make."

Kiyra smiled. "The Rogue always was simpler."

Geoff laughed. "They did find a loophole though."

Kiyra's spirits rose. "You tell me now?"

Geoff shrugged. "I wasn't sure about it. See, they know about Demi. Thom must have told them how powerful he was."

"I'm not giving Demi up!" Kiyra spat out. "Never! What do they think of me?"

Geoff shushed her. "Calm down. That's not what they ask. They only ask that you raise Demi loyal to the Crown."

"Not to the Rogue?" Kiyra asked. "Not to you?"

"I think we could raise him to be loyal to both. It's your decision though."

Kiyra was really tempted to accept the offer immediately, but she held back. "Help me think about it."

"What do think?" Geoff asked.

"Well, I think we could do it too. Having him loyal to the Crown would give him a safer situation." Kiyra bit her lip. "I don't like to think about it, but what would happen if you lost your throne? Demi wouldn't be safe unless he had a place with the Crown, too."

"That sounds right." Geoff said, careful to let Kiyra do the thinking and not influence her decision.

"But he might have to make a decision when he's older between the Rogue and the Crown. That would be hard. We could help him choose though. I think we should accept the offer, as long as they don't make him swear a blood oath. It would be too easy for a little boy to break it."

"I assume they wouldn't ask that of him." Geoff assured her. "Is that your answer, then?"

"Yes. I think it will work out for Demi." Kiyra said firmly. "I'm sure it will."

Geoff beamed. "George is waiting at the top of the stairs. I'll go fetch him."

"Is he going to let me out?" Kiyra called to Geoff. "Can I take a bath before I go home? I feel so dirty."

Geoff and George returned, laughing at Kiyra's need to bathe. "I remember, three years ago, Kiyra, you wouldn't even have dared to bathe once a month."

Kiyra stuck her tongue out at Geoff. "Never got this dirty."

"Oh yes, you did."

"Do you have my dirk?" Kiyra asked the Baron.

"Yes, it's in my office. I'll send a page for it while you're washing up."

"We better stop by the healers' too." Geoff commented. Kiyra was having trouble getting her stiff muscles to bend, and her breath was catching in her throat.

"As long as it's fast." Kiyra agreed. "We can ask about Luth where we're there."

Geoff supported Kiyra up to the infirmary. Kiyra was glad that there weren't a lot of people around.

It only took a couple of minutes to fix her lungs and heal her muscles. The healer's let her use a private bath. Kiyra relaxed in the hot water and washed herself with scented soaps. Geoff was waiting outside of the room with a fresh change of clothes from the palace suppliers. There was a long skirt and a blouse. Geoff blushed when Kiyra saw the clothes.

"I like you in skirts." He explained.

After she felt and looked a lot better, Kiyra asked to speak with one of the healers.

"Have you seen a boy, about this high? I don't know when he was brought here, but he was brought here from the dungeons." Kiyra explained.

"Ah, yes." The healer nodded. "He kept arguing with the healer who was trying to heal him."

"Where is he?" Kiyra asked eagerly.

"That was a couple days ago. We usually take the younger children to a holding room, until someone claims them. If no one does, the child is taken to an orphanage."

"Is he there?" Kiyra pressed.

"He should be." The healer answered and gave her directions to the holding room. Kiyra was about to rush off, but Geoff stopped her.

"Kiyra, if he's been there this whole time, he'll still be there. Calm down."

Kiyra was glad that Geoff had made her wait, because a minute later, Merci walked in the infirmary. Her eyes scanned the room until she saw Kiyra. Merci abandoned her page-like manner and flew across the room.

"All of us were so worried! Rye came in the passage but we haven't seen anyone since and we didn't know what was going on!" Merci hugged Kiyra, then stepped away. She bowed, while offering Kiyra's dirk to her. Kiyra grinned and took it.

"I guess you can tell them I'm fine." Kiyra laughed.

"What happened?" Merci asked. "All Rye told us was that you went and killed someone."

"I did, but it didn't happen exactly like that." Kiyra said ruefully.

"We all thought that you were going to go to the mines or something." Merci said. "We wanted to break in and rescue you, but Tyrell told us that that was stupid and we wouldn't have a chance."

"Smart of him." Geoff put in. "The boy's got a head on his shoulders."

Merci gave Geoff a dirty look. "We were caught up." She explained. "I better get back before I get punishment work."

"Send my love to the others." Kiyra told the retreating figure, then turned to Geoff. "Can we go find Luth _now_?"

It only took Geoff and Kiyra a couple of minutes to find the holding room that Luth should be in. Kiyra took a deep breath before pushing on the door.

"Kiyra!" Something small hit Kiyra's middle with enough force to knock her over. Geoff grabbed her arm to hold her up, laughing.

"Luth, I was so worried." Kiyra hugged him. "You could've died."

"I was more worried about you." Luth said sternly. "You were still in the pit and they wouldn't let me out to see you."

"But you were sick." Kiyra argued.

"No, I was healed. You were still sick."

"But I didn't know that…"

Geoff interrupted Kiyra. "How about we get something to eat before we go home?"

"Can't we eat at the Dove?" Kiyra begged.

"I haven't seen it yet, sir." Luth put in.

Geoff shook his head. "No. I want to eat at a fancy teashop and waste time away and…"

Kiyra hit his shoulder. "Geoff!"

Geoff grinned.

The Dove was mostly empty when Kiyra, Geoff, and Luth entered. Kiyra had enough time to take everyone in before they realized who came in.

Demi was sitting on Lalasa's lap in a chair by the counter. Julie was rocking Anna and softly singing. Kiyra's youngest siblings, Lamie, Allan, and Sadie were around Julie, so that they could listen. Cart was leaning against the counter with his hand on Julie's shoulder. Mattie, Emma, Wren, and Dann were huddled together on the bench by the table in the corner. Rye was sitting cross-legged on the table, along with Jonny and Dinny. Lord Thom and Master Numair were talking in low tones on one table.

Demi was the first to see Kiyra. He threw himself off of Lalasa's lap and ran to Kiyra. Kiyra lifted him up and squeezed him tight. He kept repeating "Mama" over and over again.

The entire room erupted. Lalasa hugged Kiyra and scolded her, but Kiyra couldn't hear what the older woman was saying. Julie handed Anna to Cart and hugged Kiyra, who hugged her back. Emma, Rye, Wren, and Dann were bouncing around Kiyra, holding on to her skirt and her arms. Jonny, Mattie, and the rest of the brothers and sisters clamored around Luth, who was enjoying the attention.

"They said you were going to hang!" Emma said, hugging Kiyra.

Geoff touched Kiyra's hand. "We wouldn't have let her hang."

"Reassuring." Kiyra grinned. "I wouldn't have let them hang me either."

"When are you going to start behaving?" Lalasa asked.

"You should have come with us." Jonny told Luth. "I told you to."

Cart stood by Geoff. "We've been waiting all day. I'm glad it's over. Glad that she's home too. You gonna ask?"

Geoff shrugged. "Maybe."

"Momma, can I stay with you forever?" Demi asked.

Kiyra laughed, a light, joyous sound. "Yes, Demi. As long as you want."

"Kiyra taught me how to fight!" Luth bragged. "I learned from the best."

"Did they feed you?" Dinny asked Luth.

"Thanks for bringing Luth back." Jonny said to Kiyra, a bit awkwardly.

Geoff stuck his head in. "Well, she didn't want to, said she'd rather take him to an orphanage, but I put my foot down. She brought him to jail, she'd bring him back."

Kiyra and Jonny laughed, but Jonny grew serious again. "Kiyra, I have to talk to you."

Kiyra handed Demi to Geoff and extracted herself from the crowd. "What is it, Jon?"

Jonny fidgeted. "What's going to happen to us?"

Kiyra knew what he meant.

"I mean," Jonny continued. "We could live alone but I think the children need a mother and father."

Kiyra nodded. "I know what to do." Kiyra led him over to the table where Numair and Thom were watching the children and friends with smiles on their faces.

"Master Numair?' Kiyra asked politely. "Do you remember back when I took care of Sarra for a spell? It was a long time ago…"

"Yes, I remember." Numair said, unsure of where this was going.

"Well, you promised me that if I needed anything, I could come to you."

"Yes, I did." Numair remember. "Do you need something?"

"Yes." Kiyra said. "Is there a place for my brothers and sisters? I don't want to send them to an orphanage and I don't want them growing up around here. It's not stable enough for them."

Master Numair thought, but it was Thom that came up with a solution. "I have godparents in the country. It's Coram and Rispah of Trebond. They have ample room and I'm sure if I wrote to them, they'd welcome children. They had been saying how it was too quiet around Trebond lately."

"Oh, yes sir." Jonny stepped forward. "I can promise you that it wouldn't be quiet anymore."

The adults laughed.

"I won't go!" Luth protested, stepping next to Kiyra. "I won't."

"Luth, it'll be better for you." Kiyra said.

"It'll be fun." Jonny wheedled.

"No. I want to stay with Kiyra. I'm not going." Luth put his hands on his waist.

Jonny grabbed his brother. "I'm not going to let you stay behind. The family's not going to be broken up."

"Kiyra wouldn't be going with you." Luth argued. "It'd already be broken."

Jonny and Kiyra shared a look. "That isn't fair. I haven't been there for you. Jonny has. You need to stay with him."

"I want to stay with you." Luth jutted out his small chin. "Please?"

Kiyra looked at Luth and saw herself. He had the same stubborn expression on his face and the same light behind his eyes.

"I'd take care of him." Kiyra told Jonny. "He'd be safe."

"Not you too!" Jonny protested. "I'm his brother. I can take care of him."

Luth looked up at Jonny. "I know you can. I still love you Jonny. It's just, I want to be with Kiyra. I don't know her that well yet. But I love her. I know that. I want to spend some time with her. I've spent my whole life with you. I can still visit, it's not like I'll never see you again."

Jonny bit his lower lip. "Fine." He murmured. "But only if you visit."

Kiyra felt a rush of emotion and hugged both her brothers, who tried to shove her off.

"Girls." Jonny spat out, before grinning.

Later that night, Kiyra was alone on the kitchen roof. Geoff slid out the window to be with her.

"Hi," He said. "What've you been up to?"

"I'm always up to something, then." Kiyra teased. "I was finding the stars with Jonny, for old times' sake. We used to do it when we were children. I still know more than he does."

Geoff laughed. "I put Demi to bed. All the children are in the Hovel, supposedly sleeping. You can almost hear them shouting from here."

Kiyra moved closer to Geoff and he put his arm around her.

"You know, Kiyra, I had something to talk to you about…" Geoff began.

"If it's about what I did, I'm sorry. He was coming at me with a chair leg. I was mad. And I didn't mean to kill my mother, but I got carried away."

"It's not about that." Geoff put a finger to her lips. "I…well…never mind."

Kiyra looked at him curiously. "Geoff?"

"What?"

"What were you going to say?"

"It was nothing important."

"Oh. Do you suppose I'm doing the right thing, keeping Luth here with me? I thought so, but now I'm not sure. Maybe he'd be better off with Jonny. What do you think?"

"Will you marry me?"

Kiyra gasped. "Are you joking?"

Geoff looked at their clasped hands. "Not really."

Kiyra smiled, one of those huge, beaming smiles. "Yes."

"You'll marry me?" Geoff asked disbelievingly.

"Yes, you idiot, I'll marry you." Kiyra threw her arms around him.

"I have a ring." Geoff said, reaching into his pocket and slipping out a thin gold band with an ever thinner silver band wrapped around it. He slipped the ring around the finger on her left hand.

"It's beautiful." Kiyra said. "Thanks."

"Where do want to live?" Geoff asked. "You used to say that you'd never leave the Dove, but now maybe you want our own place."

"I think I want our own place, not too far away though." Kiyra answered. "Close enough to be with the Goats in an instant if they need me."

"I can't stop leading the Rogue." Geoff said.

"I know. I just worry about you. Sure, you do things different from any other Majesty, but that doesn't mean they won't end the same for you as any other."

"I'll be careful." Geoff laughed. "Usually you're saying that to me."

Kiyra laughed with him. "I'm always careful. It isn't my fault, all these things that happen."

"When do you want the wedding to be?" Geoff asked.

"I don't know. Maybe in a month. Is it going to be a big wedding?'

"I think it'll have to be. I am the Rogue Majesty."

"You have a big head." Kiyra smiled impishly up at Geoff, who smiled evilly back and began to tickle her. Kiyra began to squeal and try to wriggle away. Geoff leaned down and kissed Kiyra, who deepened the kiss.

"Mama?" Kiyra and Geoff broke apart with a sigh.

"Yes, Demi?" Kiyra looked over to where Demi was trying to climb out the window.

"They're being really loud."

"Jonny and the Goats?"

"All of them. I can't sleep."

"I'm sorry. I'll go and tell them to be quiet."

"I want to sleep with them tonight. Please?" Demi begged.

"Alright." Kiyra laughed as Demi flew from the window and out of the door.

"You're a natural mother." Geoff commented.

Kiyra looked nervously at Geoff. "I know you want to be a father."

"I am already, if you count Demi."

"Yes, but you probably want one of your own. More than one."

"Sure." Geoff said slowly.

"Is it alright if we hold off on children for a while? I don't want to have babies yet. I'm scared."

"Whatever you want." Geoff said.

"The moon."

"What?"

"I want the moon." Kiyra held back a smile. "You're a man, you can get it for me."

"You can have the moon in my eyes."

Kiyra's laughter rang out clear as a bell. "This is one of those times I can't doubt you were a Player."

Geoff looked woefully at Kiyra. "I thought it sounded good."

"Good for a frog." Kiyra began to laugh even harder.

"You don't appreciate my talent." Geoff complained. "You don't take me seriously."

"Should I?" Kiyra thought. "Alright. I will from now on."

"Thanks."

"Geoff, will Luth live with us? He is my brother, but he could live in the Hovel."

"It's okay with me either way. Let him choose."

"Lalasa can help me learn to cook. It would be nice to cook for you. I haven't cooked since I burnt all those biscuits last year. Randy wouldn't let me near the kitchen after that."

"Everyone thought the Dove was burning down." Geoff hooted. "Those were the worst biscuits ever to set the tables."

Kiyra's face fell and her lower lip trembled. "I tried. I'm sorry they stunk."

Geoff looked confusedly at her. "Kiyra…I'm sorry….are you crying?"

"You said you wanted me to take you more seriously." Kiyra's lips twitched and she giggled. Geoff looked relieved that she wasn't upset.

"I take it back. Kiyra, I love you exactly as you are. Nothing can change that."

Together, they watched the stars move across the sky.

**I'm going to skip a couple years for the next chapter. It'll just feel right. Anyway, review me with your thoughts and stuff.**


	12. Enemies August 466

**- Insert Disclaimer of Your Choice - **

**Really sorry it took me so long to update. Just for the record, this is about two years after the last chapter. I had to make a jump to get everything to work out as planned. **

**Chapter 12 - Enemies  
**

"Give it here!"

"I asked first!"

"No you didn't! I did!"

"Not if it was inside your head, dummy!"

"Don't call me dummy! I'm not the one who can't even hammer a nail in straight!"

Toady, Wren, and Dann added to the noise of Kiyra's home. It was lucky that Geoff had insisted on buying a large house, because it was full to the brim with Goats and family.

Lars had paid all his time on the Navy ship, and was home for the summer. He was taller, tanner, and more filled out. Kiyra had been sad to see the two years that she had missed with him take their toll, though she was impressed. He'd matured a lot on the warship and become a man.

The Goat-pages, Tyrell, Merci, Finn, and Toady were staying at Kiyra's house and going up to the palace each day to practice. Luth and Wren went with them, because they were going to begin page training in the fall. Hashim, a 4th year page, was staying with Kiyra, because the journey back to his family was too far. He had been such a good friend to the Goat pages that they had made him a Goat. He was immensely proud of his necklace.

Rye and Emma had decided not to become pages. Emma was too soft-hearted anyway, but Rye wanted to be a spy. He spent most of his time "stalking" people in the market and practicing secret codes. Emma wasn't sure yet what she wanted to be, but Kiyra knew that she would be a good mother.

Cart, Julie, Anna, and six-month old Cole visited Kiyra during the days, and went back to their house for nights.

Demi, now five years old, had made good progress on his mage lessons. Lord Thom had told Kiyra that he had reached the level of a experienced fire mage. He told Kiyra that he was needed for the battle mages' league, to which Kiyra panicked, before Thom told her that he was joking.

Kiyra had decided that she loved the noise and bustle of her home during the summers. It reminded her of the Dove, but more active and less smoky. And yes, twenty children were definitely more active than thirty grown men.

Kiyra picked up Anna, who was crying and grabbed Dann, who looked like he was going through himself at Toady. Luth danced around them, shouting for a fight. Kiyra's arm slipped and Dann jumped at the older boy. Kiyra set Anna down, who was still crying, and wedged herself between the boys.

"Let me at him!" Dann pummeled Toady, Kiyra, and anyone within range.

Toady wasn't helping the problem by laughing. "Let him pretend he can hurt me. Let him pretend."

"Shut up!" Kiyra hollered. Almost instantly, Dann and Toady stopped taunting each other, the other Goats sobered up, and even Anna stopped crying. Kiyra looked pleased with herself.

"Now, what started this?"

Dann shrugged. "I dunno."

Kiyra raised her eyebrows. "You mean to tell me you two were at blows and you can't even remember what it was all about?"

"Yep." Dann answered, calm and happy again.

Kiyra rolled her eyes and released the boys. She watched them for a minute to make sure they had stopped.

Someone wrapped their arms around Kiyra from behind. Startled, she stiffened before realizing who it must be.

"Geoff?" Kiyra asked, before relaxing into his hug.

"I finished up early. This place is a madhouse."

"Sure is. I like it though." Kiyra said. "The boys were fighting again. I think Dann's upset about being the youngest Goat. All the others are pages or something."

"Rye and Emma are here during the rest of the year." Geoff reminded her.

Kiyra shook her head. "Rye's got his spywork and Emma's too serious for Dann."

"Rye." Geoff laughed. "I talked to someone and found someplace where he can train."

"Is it far away?" Kiyra frowned.

"Yes, actually." Geoff nodded. "Kiyra, don't be sad. It's what the boy wants."

"That! He's just a boy... What if he changes his mind?"

"Rye doesn't just change his mind. You know that."

Kiyra pouted. "You'll be the one telling him."

"Fine." Geoff grinned. "Come on. You know how happy he'll be."

She stuck her tongue out at him and he bent down, kissing her.

"Yuck." Luth stood with his arms folded. "Do you have to do that in front of anyone?"

"Leave them alone." Merci shoved him. "They can kiss if they want to."

"Not in front of me." Demi said. Emma stood behind him and her hands were over his eyes, though Kiyra noticed she had been watching.

Geoff laughed at the children. "We'd better go somewhere private then."

"You two." Lalasa scolded, just walking into the room.

"Hi Lalasa." Kiyra interrupted. Lalasa ignored her.

"...acting like a pair of newlyweds in front of the children."

Luth, Merci, Emma, and Wren giggled. Kiyra blushed.

"Demi, Jerry's with the boys upstairs." Lalasa told the little boy.

Demi smiled and ran upstairs. Lalasa's little boy was around the same age as Kiyra's son.

"He sure has grown up." Lalasa remarked. Seeing that Kiyra wasn't going to get teased anymore, the children disappeared with Geoff, who was promising to show them something.

"I'm teaching him his letters already and he can write his name." Kiyra said, beaming with pride.

"He's one of the most accomplished child mages in the city and it's his letters that you think of first." Lalasa smiled.

"I keep having to tell him to stop burning things in the house!" Kiyra groaned. "How do I get him to listen to me?"

"Did you try explaining to him that it's dangerous?"

"That's the first thing I tried. I don't think he gets it."

"I'm glad I have you two." Julie joined the two other women. "Anna's the most stubborn girl I've ever met."

"Just like her mother." Kiyra said, with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

Julie made a face and softly punched Kiyra's shoulder. "I'm going to love watching you raise your children. They'll give you a run for your money."

The three women laughed.

"Mama, Mama!" Jerry ran to Lalasa. "They're fighting!"

Kiyra made a move towards the staircase, but Julie stopped her. "You take a rest, Kiyra. Me and Lalasa can take care of it."

Kiyra threw up her hands and headed towards the kitchen. Despite what Geoff, the Goats, and she herself had thought, she had learned to cook. Right now, she felt like some cookies.

Merci was sitting quietly on a chair by the fireplace. She looked up when Kiyra entered.

"Kiyra, am I pretty?"

"Fishing for compliments?" Kiyra teased, before realizing that her young friend was serious. "Well, I'm no expert but I think so. You have some of the clearest blue eyes I've ever seen and your hair's very beautiful."

That didn't cheer Merci up very much.

"Is it a boy?"

Merci slowly nodded. "He doesn't even notice me. I don't think he likes me at all."

"Boys like to keep their feelings to themselves. He wouldn't show them if he thought you didn't like him."

"But Geoff kissed you and he was just sixteen!" Merci protested. "The boy I like is just a bit younger!"

"It depends on the boy, of course." Kiyra informed her.

Merci's eyes filled with tears. "I think he likes someone else. Another girl. He's always writing to her!"

"Is this boy, assuming he's a page," Kiyra said and Merci nodded. "Does he treat you any different than anyone else?"

"Yes!" Merci's lower lip trembled. "He ignores me."

"Good." Kiyra grinned. "No, really, that's a good sign. He doesn't treat you the same as everyone else. So he either likes you or hates you. And no one could hate you."

Merci slowly smiled. "You really think he likes me?"

"I think so. Just remember, you have to act yourself. That's who he should like and if he doesn't, he isn't worth your time. Do you want to help me make cookies?"

"Sure." Merci hugged Kiyra and they began getting out ingredients.

* * *

Kiyra climbed up the stairs that led up to Geoff's office in the Dove. She rapped on the door and said, "It's Kiyra."

There was no answer. Kiyra frowned; Randy had said that Geoff was up here. Then, she heard a rustling around and a chair sliding.

"Geoff, answer me." Kiyra banged sharply, then twisting the knob. It was locked. Geoff had gotten Thom to fix the door so that lock-picks wouldn't work and Kiyra had no key. She began to panic.

"Geoff, open the door right now!" Kiyra yelled. She was close to tears. She began to push at the door with all of her might.

"Kiyra, what's wrong?" Tyrell came pounding up the stairs, Hashim and Finn right behind him.

"Geoff won't answer but I know that there's someone in there!" Kiyra whimpered.

Tyrell sized up the heavy oak door. "Alright, boys. On the count of three then."

The boys and Kiyra threw themselves at the door. The lock trembled, but didn't give. It held out for four more throws before snapping.

Kiyra gasped at the scene before her. Geoff lay on the bed, not moving. There was blood everywhere.

"Geoff!" Kiyra wailed, running to him.

"I'll get someone." Finn ran.

Hashim rushed to Geoff's side. "My aunt's a healer. I've watched her some."

Geoff's shoulder was bleeding and his other arm was cut. Kiyra inspected every inch of him, but couldn't find any other wounds.

Hashim ripped up a sheet into bandages and tore Geoff's sleeve away from his arm. Tyrell got him a pitcher of water and Hashim washed the blood away.

"Who would do this?" Kiyra cried. "Geoff, please wake up! Please!"

"Kiyra, you need to calm down." Hashim told her. "He'll be alright. Look, he's still breathing."

"But he might die!" Kiyra sobbed.

"Tyrell, can you take her out?" Hashim asked. "Try and calm her down a bit."

Tyrell gently led Kiyra out and passed Finn and the healer, who were on their way in.

As soon as the healer gave the okay, Kiyra was back in the room.

"Is he going to be alright?" Kiyra asked.

"Yes, he just needs rest now." The healer answered. "He'll be fine."

"Kiyra?" Geoff half-sat up.

"Yes, Geoff?" Kiyra sniffled.

"You're overreacting." Geoff teased.

"Overreacting?" Kiyra said, voice rising in pitch. "Overreacting? You were bleeding and you wouldn't open the door! You could have died! Overreacting?"

"Kiyra, I wouldn't have died." Geoff reassured her. "Come here."

He held open his arms and Kiyra dove into them.

"I'll be more careful next time, alright?" Geoff promised. Kiyra weakly nodded.

"Who was it, Geoff?" Tyrell wondered.

"Someone I trusted." Geoff shook his head ruefully. "Someone I'd best kill before they start talking."

"Talking about what?" Kiyra asked.

Geoff shook his head. "Anyway, it's lucky you came along so soon. What did you want, anyway?"

Kiyra frowned and tried to remember. "Oh, I wanted to know if you were coming home for lunch."

"Sure." Geoff steeled himself and got out of bed.

"I'll get horses." Tyrell ran out. Finn and Kiyra steadied Geoff as he walked, while Hashim watched him with a careful and level eye.

"By the Gods, I'm not dying!" Geoff said exasperatedly.

* * *

Kiyra woke up with a gasp. She quickly looked to Geoff, who was still sleeping. She took a deep breath and quietly got out of bed.

She walked down to the kitchen, only half-surprised to find five guilty faced children sitting round the table with cookies and lemonade. Instead of scolding them, she plopped down next to them, taking a swig from Toady's glass.

"Sorry if we woke you up." Merci apologized.

Emma nodded. "We just got thirsty."

"I'm not sorry." Luth drawled. "I'd rather have you with us than sleeping."

They all laughed. "Just as long as you don't wake Demi up. I'd have a world of trouble getting him to sleep again."

"Did we wake you up?" Emma asked.

"No...I got thirsty too." Kiyra answered.

"Anyway," Rye said. "I was just telling them that Geoff said I could really be a spy!"

"I know. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you all too." Rye's eyes were bright with excitement. "But to be a spy!"

"Just remember to be careful." Kiyra told him. "And keep out of trouble."

Merci snorted. "Kiyra telling someone to be careful. Next, you'll get Geoff doing something stupid."

"Demi playing with ice."

"Emma picking on Dann."

"Finn turning white."

After the roar of laughter from the last one died out, Kiyra tried to hide a smile. "You are the cruelest group of children I've ever known!"

Kiyra held her facial expression for about fifteen seconds before breaking into laughter. The others joined her.

"Thought you were angry for a second!" Luth hooted.

"Really?" Kiyra said happily.

"No." Luth shook his head and started a new wave of laughter.

A small noise at the door startled them all. They all looked over.

"Demi!" All six of them shouted.

Demi frowned and shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. You're too loud."

"Kiyra, what did we tell you?" Toady scolded her.

"You never listen!" Luth threw up his hands. "Now what's gonna be your punishment?"

Demi giggled and climbed in his mama's lap. He reached for a cookie and took a bite before Kiyra could stop him. "Mama needs to be spanked."

That started them all laughing again.

"I really wouldn't have expected this of you." Tyrell stood in the doorway with his eyebrows raised and arms folded. Wren, Lars, Hashim, Finn, and Dann stood behind him, curiously peeking into the kitchen.

"Come on in, then." Kiyra said. "I'll have you know that they started it!"

The Goats shuffled into the room and shared chairs with the others. Tyrell got down more mugs and passed around the lemonade and cookies. For a minute or two, there was only the sound of contented chewing.

"Well, now is as good a time as any." Lars began. "I decided..."

"Wait, is it more bad news?" Emma interrupted.

"Depends." Lars said. "I want to go back to the _Sea Dragon." _

"You want to leave again?" Finn accused.

"I love the sea." Lars confessed. "I do. And I've got friends back on the _Dragon. _Besides, Cap'n said that I was officer material. He says I've got the quick head for it. I can be great too."

Kiyra felt her eyes tear up. She hated to lose both Lars and Rye.

"Aw, Kiyra," Lars comforted. "I'll be back."

"You could get hurt." Kiyra said. "It's dangerous."

"The mother in Kiyra coming out again." Lars joked around, but he gave Kiyra a sort of hug. "Don't worry, mum, this here's one lad who'll be careful."

"Promise me?" Kiyra held his eyes. She knew Lars could be a little reckless sometimes.

"I promise." Lars grinned. "Asides, there be too many pretty girls back home." He winked at Tyrell, who winked back. Kiyra rolled her eyes. She hoped Geoff had given them the man talk, before they broke hearts.

"Remember Enoroflla?" Merci asked suddenly. "Back in the prison, after Kiyra started the market fight?"

"Wasn't me." Kiyra protested. "It was those Mare's Heads picks. They started it."

"You used to proud of the fact." Tyrell raised his eyebrow. "Don't tell me that you still aren't."

Kiyra smiled. "You know me too well."

"Course we do. Pass the cookies." Luth pointed for the cookies, which were now almost gone.

Demi's face was twisted up. "What's enoroflla?"

"Enoroflla, all for one." Rye recited. "It's the Goat's war cry, at least, it was."

"Still is." Kiyra pointed out. "Enoroflla?"

"Enoroflla!" Lars and Finn shouted in unison. The others started pounding on the table as hard as they could.

"ENOROFLLA! ENOROFLLA! ENOROFLLA!" The Goats shouted over and over again. Luth and Toady jumped on the table and stomped. Kiyra laughed and moved the cookies and lemonade off the table. The wooden plates clattered and clashed around. Dann and Demi climbed onto the table also.

"ENOROFLLA! ENOROFLLA! ENOROFLLA!"

Finn, Lars, Tyrell, Hashim, Merci, Wren, Rye, Emma and Kiyra began to dance around in a circle around the table. Kiyra grabbed Demi off the table and swung him around. Demi giggled and shouted in glee.

"A wounded man can't get any rest around here." Geoff gave Kiyra his sad face.

Kiyra was caught up in the dance and the chant. "Enoroflla, Geoff!"

Geoff rolled his eyes and snatched his son.

"No, Da!" Demi squirmed away. "I wanna dance!"

Geoff moaned and slumped down at the table. Kiyra was at his side in an instant.

"Geoff, are you okay?" Kiyra panicked.

Geoff grinned up at her with that look in his eyes. Kiyra made a face at him.

"Someday, you're really going to be hurt, but I'm not going to believe you." She scolded him.

"Yes, someday." Geoff poked under her ribs and she jerked.

"Geoff!" Kiyra held her sides and kicked Geoff.

"That's a love fight." Luth told Demi, who was getting worried. The rest of the Goats were laughing.

"Let's go outside." Lars groaned. "I don't want to watch the rest of this. I've seen enough on shore leave."

"C'mon." Tyrell said. The Goats followed the two boys. Demi tried to sneak out inconspicuously, but his mother knew his tricks.

"Demi, get back here! It's not safe and you should be in bed!"

Lars scooped the little boy up. "Aw, let him come. I'll take good care of him."

Kiyra frowned. Geoff poked her again. "Spoilsport."

"Am not!" Kiyra protested. "Fine, he can go."

"Yay!" Demi crowed.

Once they were alone, Geoff lifted Kiyra up. She beat around his neck and shoulders in protest.

"Let's go to bed." Geoff insinuated.

* * *

"Geoff! Kiyra!" Voices thudded through their sleeping heads.

"What is it?" Geoff called out. He could hear the worry in their voices.

"It's Demi!"

Kiyra sat straight up. "Where is he?" She and Geoff hurriedly threw on their clothes.

There was silence on the other end. Geoff whipped open the door.

Lars was standing in front, eyes brimming with tears. One half of his face was bruised and there was a cut on his scalp. Demi was not with them.

"Where is he?" Kiyra wailed.

"I dunno. We split up to play a game. Demi was with me, then I woke up and he wasn't. I'm sorry Kiyra, I'm sorry." Lars bit his lip so hard it bled.

"It wasn't your fault, lad." Geoff squeezed his shoulder. "Don't blame yourself."

"It's okay, Lars." Kiyra hugged him. "Let's just find Demi."

"I'll need to contact some people. I can get them out within the hour. Tyrell, Lars, and Merci, I need you to go to the palace and tell their majesties."

"On it." Tyrell ran out, but Lars still stood with his head down in shame.

"Lars, listen to me. I'm not angry at you, it could've happened to anyone. I'm just glad you're not dead. For right now, go with them." Kiyra told him.

Lars looked up, then nodded and hurried to catch up with his friend.

"What should I do?" Kiyra looked to Geoff for instructions.

"You stay here with the others."

"I want to help find my child!" Kiyra cried.

"No!" Geoff roared. The others looked at him in surprise. "No, Kiyra. Whoever took Demi wanted to hurt someone. You'd be a bonus."

"And what about you, Geoff?" Tears were running down Kiyra's face. "Maybe it was you they wanted to hurt."

"There are protective wards on the house. You'll be safe here." Geoff finalized.

"What about Lalasa and Julie and Cart and the babes?" Rye reminded them. "They'll be targets too."

"Rye, you're good at sneaking. Hurry, try to get them. Don't take any chances." Geoff told Rye. The boy nodded and took off his shoes.

"Quieter barefoot." Rye grinned. Emma hugged him and whispered something into his ear. "Emma, don't be such a girl. I'll be okay."

Rye slipped out the window.

"Stay here." Geoff warned Kiyra. "Kids, make her stay here. Knock her out if you have to."

Hashim nodded. "She'll be safe with us."

"Good. Kiyra, I love you." Geoff rushed out of the room.

Kiyra opened her mouth but nothing came out.

"He'll be fine, Kiyra." Finn reassured her. "Geoff can take care of himself."

"Yah. Why don't you try and sleep?" Merci encouraged Kiyra. "You didn't get much rest."

"Demi's out there!" Kiyra whimpered. "I couldn't sleep."

There was no answer to that. Kiyra slumped down on a chair. Luth sat by her feet and rested his chin on his knees. Emma sat by Dann and Wren and hugged them. Finn and Toady sat in the corner and conversed in whispers. Hashim noticed and sat next to them. He looked as if he was comforting them. They kept pulling on their Goat necklaces, but Kiyra didn't notice. Merci pulled a chair up to Kiyra. Some time later, Rye shouted up the stairs. "It's just me and the others! They're all okay."

The door burst open and Lalasa and Julie stood there uncertainly. At the sight of them holding their own children, Kiyra burst into tears.

Lalasa rushed over. "Hey, hey, it'll be alright."

Merci and Emma took Anna, baby Cole, and Jerry onto the bed. Julie started to rub Kiyra's shoulders.

"Cart and my Vince are with Geoff. We passed him on the way here." Lalasa said. "They're going to find your Demi."

"Am I a horrible person for hating you both?" Kiyra gazed enviously at the women's children.

"No, of course not." Julie hugged her. "Kiyra, everything is going to be fine."

"I want him back with me. I shouldn't have let him go out. What kind of mother lets their child go out in the middle of the night?"

"It could've happened during the day. They must have been watching you." Lalasa said.

Kiyra shook her head and didn't speak.

A noise came from downstairs. All in the room jerked up and listened. Heavy footsteps were heard on the stairs. Hashim and Merci drew their daggers and stood on either side of the door.

Hashim gestured wildly and whispered. "Get behind the bed now!"

Lalasa pulled Kiyra behind the bed. "You'll do no good to your son if you're dead."

Julie grabbed the younger children and they rolled under the bed. Finn, Rye, Toady and Luth also pulled out their dirks and hid. Emma, Wren and Dann drew out their daggers, but hid behind the bed.

A door down the hall opened, then shut. The footsteps were heard again and they stopped before the bedroom door. Slowly, the knob turned and the door was slowly pushed open.

A small, dark figure stepped into the room. It didn't see Hashim and Merci.

"Mama?" The figure called.

Kiyra flew up from behind the bed. She stared for a minute at the shape, then her hand went up to her mouth.

"Demi?"

Hashim and Merci dropped their dirks.

Demi was covered from head to toe in ash. His clothes were burnt and he was barefoot.

"The bad men took me. They wanted to hurt Da and you. They talked about it."

"Did they let you go?" Kiyra ran to Demi and kissed him over and over again. The other children and the women came out from their hiding places.

"No." Demi answered, beginning to cry. "I scorched them."

**Hope you liked it. I, personally, loved the last line of Demi's. Anyway, someone's out to get them and it will come up in the next chapters. I haven't totally worked it out yet. Please review.**


	13. CHARACTERS

**So I know that this isn't exactly a chapter, but since I'm not going any further than year 466, it'll work. I am working on the next chapter, but I've had writer's block for the past couple months. Things are clearing up and I think I can write about two more chapters. Any hints or advice would be appreciated. : ) **

**CHARACTERS IN KIYRA AS OF SEPTEMBER 466  
**

**Kiyra** – 18, thief of the Rogue, blue-green eyes, blond hair, Goat  
** Geoff** – 20, Player, pickpocket, black hair and eyes, quick wit, Rogue Majesty  
** Demi** – 5, tight blond curls, blue eyes, small, fire mage, Kiyra's foster son, Goat

**Cart** – 19, acrobat and pickpocket, red hair, green eyes  
** Julie** – 17, acrobat, brown hair and hazel eyes  
** Anna** – 2 ½ yrs old  
** Cole** – 6 months

**GOATS**

**Tyrell** – 15 pick, blue Gift, Bazhir, 3rd year Page  
** Lars** – 14, Scanren, enlisted on a navy ship for 2 years, crew member on the _Sea Dragon_  
** Merci** – 14 pickpocket, polite, loyal, quiet, blue eyes and bleached blond, 3rd yr Page  
** Hashim** – 14, Bazhir of the Bloody Hawk, son of Kara, 4th yr Page  
** Finn** – 13, black skinned, sinewy 3rd yr Page  
** Rye** – 11, dark curly hair and skin, spy trainee  
** Emma** – 11 dark curly hair and skin, soft hearted  
** Toady**- 11, straw colored hair, gray eyes, 3rd yr page  
** Luth** – 10, blond hair, blue-green eyes,  
**Cole** – 10, dead, brown hair and green eyes, artistic  
** Wren** – 10, blond haired, 1st yr Page, temper, attitude, defender of womanhood  
** Dann** – 9, redhead, freckles

**Lalasa** – sewing shop lady, surrogate sister to Kiyra  
** Jerry**- her young son, about Demi's age  
** Master Tarren** – Lalasa's husband, carpenter

**The Goat Pages' Friends**

**Fianola** – 2nd yr squire  
** Johanna** – 2nd yr squire  
** Jasson** – 15, prince  
** Hashim** – 14, Goat,

**Kiyra's Siblings - That live with Corum and Rispah in Trebond (Except for Luth)  
**

**Jonny** -16, dark hair and brown eyes  
** Mattie** -13, part Bazhir  
** Luth**-10, looks like Kiyra  
** Dinny**-8  
** Lamie**-7  
** Allan**-5  
** Sadie**-4

**Thom **- Alanna's son, Demi's magic teacher


	14. Secrets September 466

**For those of you who were disappointed that Kirya was tamed, don't worry. She's back, fullout, extreme Kiyra. You'll love this chapter. It was spontanous and wicked fun to write. It's shorter than I used to write, but the chapters will get longer.   
**

**Chapter 13**

A sleek figure cut through the darkness. The figure, which had a feminine figure barely visible through the loose black breeches and cotton shirt, climbed from roof to roof in the Lower City.

A man was waiting on one of the roofs. "Did you get it?"

The figure deposited a small bag in his hand. She kept her hand out, palm up.

The man chuckled. "Always the greedy one, eh?" He gave her a gold noble.

"Not 'nuff." The figure hissed. The man shrugged. The figure pocketed the coin. "You owe me. Got anything else you need done?"

"Man of the Rogue needs to be silenced. Name of Ribald. Can you take care of it for me?"

"Thin man, bald, looks and acts like a rat?" The figure confirmed. "He'll be dead afore morning. Money first."

The man laughed. "Come to me when the job's done."

The figure nodded and jumped off the roof to a balcony that she knew was there. The figure climbed down a sturdy rose trellis to a iron ladder and descended

* * *

Rye stirred from his sleep. "Kiyra?"

Kiyra jumped away from the door. "I didn't see you there."

Rye got to his feet. "Sneaking out again?"

"I wasn't sneaking." Kiyra protested. "I wanted a breath of fresh air."

"What's in the bag?" Rye pointed to the bag that she casually held.

"Stuff. Surprise for Geoff." Kiyra said vaguely.

"Kiyra," Rye pulled her down. "I'm not sure what you're doing, and I don't want to know. But I'm not the only one who's been noticing the strange stuff you've been doing lately. I'm going away soon and I can't look after you any more. So be careful."

Kiyra ruffled his hair. "I will. You don't have to look after me, Rye."

"Aw, Geoff made us promise to." Rye laughed. "Me, Finn, Merci, Lars, and Tyrell. Hashim, too. We're to protect you."

Kiyra kept her face smooth. "Do you follow me?"

"Nothing like that." Rye said. "We just keep our Goat necklaces close, in case something happens."

"Thanks." Kiyra hugged him. "Guess I don't need that fresh air after all. I'm going back to bad. Don't stay up."

"Night." Rye lay back down under the table on a pile of blankets.

Kiyra quietly sneaked into the room she shared with Geoff, and often Demi. She slid her bag under the bed and unbuttoned her dress. She hung it up in the wardrobe and pushed aside her skirts and dresses. On a hook in the back of the wardrobe hung her Goat necklace. She pulled it over her neck and snuggled up to Geoff .

"Where were you?"

Kiyra jumped. "Geoff? Sorry if I woke you. I was going to get fresh air, but I was talking to Rye."

"No." Geoff sat up. "I mean for the past hour. Where were you?"

Kiyra was speechless.

"Kiyra, you need to be careful. There's talk going around, of men killed or valuable things stolen. Rumor is that there's a new assassin. Especially with what happened with Demi last month, we can't risk you out at night."

"Geoff, I was wearing my necklace." Kiyra lied. She kissed him softly, trying to ignore the guilt that ran through her body. "I wasn't in any danger, you'd have known."

Geoff put an arm around her. "The necklace isn't enough. True, it would warn me and show me where you were, but that might not be enough. I don't know what I'd do, Kiy, if I lost you. What any of us would do..."

"I'm fine. I'm safe." Kiyra curled up against him and yawned.

Kiyra stayed awake with the guilt festering against her conscience.

"Kiyra?" Geoff whispered.

She pretended to be asleep so that she didn't have to face him again. Geoff sighed and rolled over. Kiyra fought back tears and softly rubbed her stomach

* * *

"Hey, give us a round o'er here!" Kiyra slurred as she tossed a coin to the serving girl.

Luth buried his head in his arms. "She's drunk. My sister is drunk." His voice was muffled through his sleeves.

Cart guffawed loudly as he swigged from his mug. "Thanks for the round, friend. You and me, we go way back, don't we?"

"Forget it, I'm not doin' you." Kiyra teased.

Cart laughed loudly, waving his drink and splashing them all in the process.

"Even though," Kiyra paused to reflect. "I'm drunk. I'm stinking rotton ape-scratching drunk. And men look better. All men look better. I should be drunk more often. I like looking at other men."

"Shut up, Kiyra." Emma covered Kiyra's mouth. "Geoff's coming over."

Dann stole a sip from Kiyra's mug. "Where's Demi?"

"I took him to Julie's." Emma said. "He shouldn't have to see his ma this way. No one should have to see Kiyra this way."

"Public eyesore." Luth complained.

"Are you drunk?" Geoff raised his eyebrow at his wife.

"Maybe a bit." Kiyra held up two fingers and squinted to see how small the space between them could get.

"It's his fault." Luth pointed to Cart. "He gave her the first round."

Geoff jokingly socked Cart in the shoulder. "Bloody scum, trying to get my wife drunk so he can bed her."

"Why not? She's pretty enough." Cart laughed. "And like men, women look better when you're drunk."

Geoff snorted at the implications of his friend's words. "So you like men now?"

Cart shoved a mug towards Geoff. "Not like that, yer Majesty."

Kiyra perched on Geoff's leg and began placing kisses on his neck.

"That's distracting, love." Geoff planted a kiss on her lips.

Kiyra sat astride Geoff and wrapped her arms around his neck. Cart hooted.

"Scarred for life." Luth lamented. "My eyes are _bleeding._"

Emma snatched Kiyra's drink away from her and handed it off to another man who sat at the next table over.

A popular lady of the Rogue started to sing a bawdy drinking song. All the Rodue in the Dove joined in the chorus. Kiyra shouting at the top of her lungs, with a wide grin on her face.

Luth pulled Emma and Dann up on the table with him and started to dance a lively jig. The other two caught on fast and soon, all three were kicking up their heels to the fast beat of the song. Cheers reverberated throughout the rafters for the young dancers.

"Geoff, I've something to tell you!" Kiyra shouted into his ear, above the noise of the tavern.

"Yah?" Geoff tickled her face with the stubble of his beard. She shoved his face away.

"That's distracting." She sighed. "I'm with child, Geoff. Don't hurt me."

Geoff stared at her in surprise. "You're kidding, right? You're just drunk?"

"If only, right?" Kiyra snorted. "I admit, I am _very _drunk," She grabbed a mug from a dancing man and chugged down the last of the liquid. "But, it's no lie. I'm with child. Four months along, I'll bet."

* * *

Kiyra heaved into a bucket. "Aw, Black God, take me now." She moaned. 

"Don't tempt him." Lalasa lightly slapped Kiyra's head and she winced. "You brought it on yourself, drinking that much."

"It's good that Geoff brought you here, or you'd be lying dead under a table somewhere." Julie giggled and offered Kiyra a cup of water.

"Thanks for the sympathy." Kiyra laid back on the floor with her head on Julie's lap. "Next time you've got a hangover..."

"I don't drink." Julie pointed out. "Neither does Lalasa, so your threat is worn out already."

"I don't drink anymore either." Kiyra rubbed her temples.

"You shouldn't have been drinking anyway." Lalasa scolded. "As far along as you are, you need to protect this child. Drinking half the ale at the Dove wasn't smart."

"It was stupid." Julie added. "Really stupid."

"If I drank half the ale, Cart drank the other half." Kiyra grinned. "I noticed Geoff didn't drag him home."

"Yah, well," Julie shrugged it off. "Cart's a grown man, he'll do what he wants."

"I'm a grown woman." Kiyra jerked off Julie's lap and retched into the bucket.

"Grown in body, maybe." Lalasa held Kiyra's hair away from her face. "You're still a reckless, thoughtless, immature fifteen year old."

Kiyra spat into the bucket, trying to rid her mouth of the acidic taste. "Thanks for that."

"What an example you set." Lalasa continued. "All the children look up to you, especially your own brother and your son. What image is this supposed to portray? Drinking is alright, as long as you get thoroughly drunk?"

"They'd drink anyway." Kiyra lay back down on Julie. "First time I took Luth to a bar, he tried to down a whole pint."

"With you encouraging him, all the way." Lalasa guessed.

"No!" Kiyra defended. "Well, I gave him the pint, but only to take a sip! He's the one who...I took it away!"

"Kiyra," Lalasa wiped at Kiyra's mouth with a cloth. "You are irresponsible. Very irresponsible."

"I know, I know." Kiyra slumped. "A little pity would be nice."

Julie and Lalasa exchanged a look.

"What about the baby?" Julie changed the subject. "Why didn't you tell Geoff sooner?"

"It isn't exactly convenient right now." Kiyra explained. "I was drunk when I told him."

"Convenient?" Lalasa raised her eyebrows. "If you're expecting a baby to be convenient, you are going to have another thing coming."

"I don't want it, okay?" Kiyra raised her voice. "Geoff wants a baby, but I don't!"

"Remember when you thought the Childlose plant was wrong?" Julie asked. "It wasn't that long ago."

"I still do, it's just...I can't do this. I can't raise a kid."

"You're doing fine with Demi." Lalasa encouraged. "It will be hard, raising a baby, but it gets easier."

"We can help." Julie hugged her friend. "Be happy. There's nothing you can do now. Geoff would never speak to you again if you purposely lost this child."

"Good point." Kiyra felt tears start to form in her eyes. "I don't want it though. I don't want the responsibility. I don't want to grow fat and ugly and huge. I don't want to have to stay home, a crying, snot nosed brat on my hip."

"That's the hangover talking." Julie told Lalasa. "She'll get over it soon."

"I hope so." Lalasa rubbed her younger friend's back. "She's going to love being a mother."

"If she can stop the drinking and going out late at night to the Dove." Julie agreed.

"Has she ever changed a diaper?" Lalasa wondered.

Julie frowned suddenly. "I don't think so. Emma's always been the one to volunteer."

"Can you stop talking about me as if I'm not here?" Kiyra begged.

Julie and Lalasa ignored her. Lalasa thought hard. "You must be right. We'll have to teach her. Doesn't Cole give you some pretty messy diapers?"

Kiyra wrinkled up her nose. "I'll have plenty of time to learn. Five months long to wait. Five blissful months full of joy and comfort."

"You get awful sarcastic when you've got a hangover." Julie remarked.

The door slammed open loudly and Geoff rushed in. "Kiyra, can we talk? Privately?"

Kiyra moaned. "I need them. They're my moral support."

"Unless you're ready to hold her hair back as she gags, we should stay." Julie stroked Kiyra's forehead.

"Alright." Geoff peered in the bucket and made a face. "One of my closest friends warned me last night. He warned me of the assassin that I've heard tales about. It's a woman and she's extremely dangerous."

"Oh?" Kiyra feigned worry. "Is she after you?"

"I don't know." Geoff shook his head. "He said that this woman could be a threat to my throne."

Kiyra struggled to figure that out. "Wait, this assassin is going to kill you?"

"Not if I've anything to do about it." Geoff knelt and cupped her cheek with his hand. "i don't want you to worry about me, just worry about yourself and our child."

Geoff smiled at Kiyra and left. She sighed.

"How am I supposed to tell him how I feel?" Kiyra wailed quietly. "He's a perfect guy, perfect. He's happy about this baby and I can't tell him how I feel. He wouldn't understand."

"You're hiding something." Lalasa accused, eyes narrowing.

Kiyra felt her cheeks turning red, hoping that it wouldn't show.

"She is!" Julie realized, seeing Kiyra blush.

"What have you done?" Lalasa questioned. "I know you too well. Sometimes I wish I didn't. What have you done?"

"Nothing." Kiyra bit her lip. "I've got a secret."

"What is it?" Julie poked Kiyra's ribs.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret."

"I'm hoping it doesn't have anything at all to do with what Geoff just told you about the assassin." Lalasa said warningly.

"Course not!" Kiyra sat straight up. "Oh right, Lalasa, I'm the assassin, by the way. I'm planning on killing Geoff and taking over the Rogue!" Kiyra struck a pose, causing her friends to laugh.

"Guess it does sound pretty stupid." Lalasa smiled ruefully.

"I love Geoff. I wouldn't do anything to hurt him." Kiyra met the eyes of her friends.

"Well," Lalasa concluded. "You're always in trouble. Just don't dig yourself any deeper, alright?"

**Hoped you liked it. Please, please review. It was a good update, wasn't it? I'll definately be inclined to update faster if I get good reviews.**


	15. The End 466

**- Disclaimer: No matter how often I change and in some ways, mutilate, Tamora Pierce's beautiful and wonderful world, it will never be mine. **

**I really am sorry that this took so long to get out. I'm also sorry that this is the last chapter. I've lost any kind of motivation for writing anymore on this. This is still an okay chapter though. If I ever write another Tortall fanfic, it will have Kiyra and the gang in it, it will just focus on another main character. So...hope you enjoy this... **

**Chapter 14**

"Kiyra, are we almost there?"

Kiyra shushed Dann. "Almost."

Kiyra, Dann, Emma, and Demi were sneaking through the secret passages of the palace to the pages quarters. It was Midwinter, and Kiyra had instructed the Goats to wait up for them in Tyrell's room.

They left the passageway from behind a wall hanging and found themselves in the pages' hallway.

"Which one is it?" Dann whispered.

"This one." Kiyra wrapped three time on a door, then once again. The door opened immediately.

"Come in quick." Merci yanked Kiyra in. The other pages surrounded them once they got inside.

"Geoff told us you were pregnant." Toady looked suspiciously at Kiyra's belly. "He was lying, right?"

"Nope." Kiyra grinned wryly. "I'm pregnant."

"That's so sweet!" Merci smiled happily. "Another baby. Are you happy?"

"Overjoyed." Kiyra tried her best to put emotion into her answer.

"Kiyra, Kiyra." Tyrell shook his head as he greeted her. "I can't believe it."

"Believe what?" She asked curiously.

"You've turned into a housewife." He teased.

Kiyra drew her knife and crouched in one slick movement. "A housewife that could gut you."

Tyrell laughed heartily.

Wren hugged Kiyra. "I'm glad we could see you for Midwinter."

"How are Lars and Rye?" Hashim wondered.

"I got a letter from Lars. He's doing fine and he's in charge of the other ship's boys."

"Bet he's lovin' that." Finn snorted.

Kiyra nodded. "Yes, he is. Be thankful he's not ordering you around."

"We are." Toady and Luth replied in unison.

"Rye can't write letters from where he's training. I'm told he's doing fine and is happy." Kiyra brought Demi from behind her skirt, where he had been feeling a little overwhelmed.

"We brought Midwinter food!" Emma announced, setting her basket on a table that was already covered with papers and schoolwork.

"Yes!" Toady crowed.

"Did you bring those cookies that I love?" Tyrell poked through the basket.

"They're under those pastries." Emma informed him.

Tyrell grabbed a handful of cookies, quickly hugged Emma, and went to share the cookies with Merci.

Wren watched in disgust. "Course he shares them with her."

"He shares everythin' with her as of late." Finn muttered mischievously. Tyrell's face turned bright red and he socked his friend.

"You two are together?" Kiyra asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yep." Tyrell answered, trying to retain some of his dignity, and held Merci's hand.

"Hugging and kissing all over the place, when we're not in public." Luth informed Kiyra. He gave a courtly bow, kissing Kiyra's hand as if she were a lady and he a gentlemen. "The etiquette lessons rot."

Kiyra laughed and curtsied elegantly. "I had to learn them too."

"Are you going to be a page?" Wren asked Dann.

Dann shrugged. "Maybe. I might want to be a carpenter like Cart."

"You should be a page." Luth nudged the younger boy. "It's fun."

"Hey, Demi." Finn shook Demi's hand solemnly. "What have you been up to?"

"I learned to do this!" Demi held out his hand and a small ship made entirely of flames rocked back in forth in it.

"Look at this!" Finn called the other pages and they stared at the ship in amazement.

"Master Thom taught me to do it." Demi said proudly. "He says I'm the most bestest student he's ever had."

"Of course you are." Kiyra fondly ruffled Demi's hair.

"Look what the Shang master taught me." Toady ordered. He stood on the bed and jumped high into the air, doing a twisting flip. He landed softly on his feet, with a bow and a flourish.

"He didn't teach him the bow." Wren rolls her eyes.

"He only does that 'cause he's vain as a peacock." Finn agreed.

"Toady's teaching me." Luth stuffed a pastry into his mouth and spoke through the crumbs. "To do those flips and stuff."

"Not me." Hashim shuddered. "Not on your life."

As the bantering and teasing continued, Kiyra leaned back to observe with a satisfied smile.

* * *

A bright light shone in the room, then softened. Geoff, sitting at his desk, didn't turn around. "Hello, Trickster."

The Trickster God leaned against the wall. "Still trying to catch this assassin?"

"I've got my men on it." Geoff answered, rubbing his eyes. "Are Kiyra and the children in any danger?"

The Trickster shook his head. "Kiyra is _definitely_ not in any danger. The children are in no more danger than usual. You, on the other hand, are in mortal peril."

Geoff sighed. "If I die, will you help my family?"

"I won't bother with that." The Trickster flapped his hand. "I'll get someone else to do it."

The Trickster cocked his head as if he was listening to something far away. Then, he growled. "I've got to go. Cole played yet another trick on Mithros. I swear, I regret the day I took that boy under my wing."

"But you don't." Geoff said, obviously enjoying the god's annoyance.

The Trickster disappeared with a hoarse cackle. Geoff rubbed his forehead slowly, sighing dejectedly.

* * *

Kiyra surveyed the men seated around the table under heavy-lidded eyes.

"This is her, the woman I've been telling you about. She's taken care of a great number of men that endangered our operation." A burly man praised Kiyra. "Her name's Srinka."

"I want to impress upon you the necessity of keeping all proceedings of this room silent." A bald, thin-faced man leaned towards Kiyra. "Do you understand me, Srinka?"

"Yes." Kiyra said in a voice that wasn't hers. "Why would I gain from divulging information? If anything, it would get me a free ticket to the gallows."

The bald man laughed. "That's my girl. Now, seated around this table are the men and women involved in the plot to kill the King of the Rogue. Take a good look around. These are the only friends you will have, the only ones you will ever trust."

All those around the table exchanged mistrusting glances. Kiyra raised her eyebrows from under her mask.

The bald man continued his speech. "Anderson will be the new Majesty and will make quite a few changes that we all support. Do you care to..."

Anderson, a handsome, smooth-talking man, interrupted. "Yes, of course. We will put all those around the table in a council. I will consult you on every decision I make, which puts you in a powerful position. We will increase levels of crime so that the guards will be stretched thin. Slowly, but surely-" His speech was cut short as he fell over, dead.

In shocked silence, the members of the council observed each other. Kiyra stared at the corpse, mouth open.

"What in Mithros' name was that?" A man asked, reaching for his belt-knife.

A dark green gas slowly filled the room, oozing murkily from under the table. The inhabitants began coughing and choking, trying to exit through the locked door. Kiyra put her hand up to her mouth, concealing a magicked air purifier stone that the Baron George had procured for her. Praying to the gods, she hoped it actually worked.

Within minutes, all eleven ringleaders fell to the ground.

Kiyra stepped over their bodies and exited through the window, climbing up to the roof. She took off her "Srinka" clothes and dropped them onto the street below.

"Well done." The Trickster appeared. Kiyra was startled, but recovered quickly.

"Just following orders, _m'lord._" Kiyra bowed mockingly. "What did you tell Geoff?"

"That he was in mortal peril."

"Seriously?" Kiyra winced. "Why?"

"To see him squirm." The Trickster laughed. "Do you know what else would make him squirm?"

"Do I want to know?" Kiyra asked wearily, rubbing her sore neck.

The Trickster reached towards Kiyra's belly with a glowing finger. "His baby born with three heads."

Kiyra jerked away, her hand immediately over her belly protectively. "Get away, rotsbreath."

"Thought you didn't care." The Trickster grinned smugly.

"I don't." Kiyra said quickly. "But delivering a baby with three heads? I wouldn't do it, not even to become a goddess."

"Right. That's my cue." The Trickster nodded towards a faint sound of a ringing bell and disappeared.

"I don't care." Kiyra told her slightly swelling belly. "Honest, I don't."

Stretching her sore muscles, Kiyra started down the rickety stairs that wrapped around the building. At the bottom, the Baron George waited.

"Impressive." He praised. "Expected nothing less from you."

"How'd you know?" Kiyra asked curiously, falling in step beside him.

"Half a bag of poison powder bought last month from a small dealer in the slums. I knew about the building already, and when you got the stone from me..."

Kiyra flipped a coin to a shop-owner and grabbed a meat pie.

"An act like that has got to got months to set up." The Baron nodded appreciatively. "Does Geoff know?"

Kiyra raised her eyebrows. "Like I'd be within a mile of this place if he did. Geoff will, hopefully, stay ignorant of this forever."

"The lovers of the Rogue majesties have a history of causing trouble for their enemies." The Baron informed her. "Alanna will love this tale."

Inconspicuously, the Baron George melted into another part of the crowd, leaving Kiyra to her own thoughts.

* * *

"Did you hear?" Geoff pulled Kiyra onto his lap, wrapping his arm around her. "The plotters murdered?" 

"I heard." Kiyra kissed him quickly. "Did you do it?"

"Wish I could say I had." Geoff returned the kiss.

Kiyra stole a sip of his drink before Geoff pulled it away from her. "Kiyra!"

"Geoff!" Kiyra mimicked.

"It's not good for the baby!" He said. "And it's definitely not good for_ you_."

"Just a sip, Geoff." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I've had a long day."

"Doing what?" Geoff wondered. "I thought you were just at Lalasa's."

"I decided not to go. I went to the palace instead. I'm just tired lately."

"That would be your fault." Geoff addressed the unborn baby in a scolding tone. "Do you know what this means? No fun for Daddy tonight."

Kiyra bolted upright indignantly. "Geoff! Don't talk that way! You'll traumatize her before she's even born!"

Geoff smiled delightedly. "Her? You think it's going to be a girl?"

"Most men want sons first, don't they? It could be a boy."

"I have a son." Geoff let his eyes travel to where Demi sat behind the bar with the barkeeper's dog. "I love you and I will love our baby no matter what."

"Good." Kiyra grinned mischieviously. "You can thank your friend for it. Our baby has three heads."

**I could write an epilogue, but that would defeat the purpose of ending the story. They won't live happily ever after, but they will live to a good old age. The baby will _not _be born with three heads, I promise. Thanks for reading my best and longest ever fanfic and getting me motivated to finishing it. **

**-Contorce-**


	16. Please Read

Sorry for such a low blow. This is supposed to be an update on Kiyra and it obviously isn't. I just wanted to tell you guys that I have a new Tortallan fanfic now, Rite of Passage.

It's about Adda, a young woman in Tortall and starts during the summer of 462. There's the war in Scanra, disorder in The Copper Isles, which are all probably more interesting anyway, but there's also a rebellion in Fief Dunstable. The lord has decided that he has wanted cheap labor and keeps slaves on his fief. Of course it's illegal, but Lord Amrold isn't going to say anything and the mage can hold the slaves on the fief.

Adda has been on the fief for eight years, half of her life, and she is pretty content. Growing up in the slums of Corus wasn't easy either and Adda doesn't mind the work. She just doesn't know what she's missing. Some of her fellow slaves convince her to help them to escape and she doesn't really want to, but agrees with the attitude of "I guess so. I mean, why not?" With the secrecy of an escape on the side, Adda has also got to survive life on the fief.

I have the plot mostly worked out and I think it's pretty good. Just read it, please review and tell me what you think. Thanks.


End file.
